‘16 illegal tobacco greenhouses were exposed in Odesa region”, Oleksandr Tkachuk, Head of the ESBU Detectives

Detectives of the Territorial Office of the ESBU in Odesa region found greenhouses and warehouses where tobacco was grown, dried and processed on an industrial scale. It was announced by Oleksandr Tkachuk, head of the ESBU Detectives, during a roundtable discussion with the Association ‘Ukrtiutiun’.

16 greenhouses were set up in the middle of a field in the Ovidiopol community in Odesa region. Tobacco was grown using drip irrigation. The leaves were dried for several months, then crushed and packed in boxes. The defendants planned to sell the finished raw materials throughout Ukraine under the guise of tobacco products of various brands.

“During the searches, the detectives seized almost 56 tonnes of grown products, sowing equipment, irrigation hoses, and an industrial line for drying and grinding tobacco. The seized products were sent for the necessary forensic examinations. The pre-trial investigation is ongoing,” said Tkachuk.

He said that after the changes initiated by the ESBU in licensing tobacco cultivation, the number of companies officially engaged in such activities has decreased. However, illegal producers have become more active. Detectives are currently focusing on exposing them.

“Illegal tobacco cultivation and processing without a licence has already been stopped in Odesa, Khmelnytsky and Lviv regions. More than 101 407 kg of tobacco were seized,” said Oleksandr Tkachuk.

In total, since the beginning of the year, from January to March 2025, Detectives of the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine have opened more than 70 criminal proceedings on illegal tobacco trafficking and seized three tobacco manufacturing lines.

In addition, according to the State Tax Service, the budget received UAH 38,7 billion in excise tax during this period. This is almost 62% more than in the same period last year. And the main factor behind the dynamics is the payment of excise tax on manufactured and imported tobacco products. Oleksandr Tkachuk, Head of the ESBU Detectives, Natalia Fesyun, Director General of the Association, the ESBU analysts, representatives of legal tobacco producers and lawyers attended a roundtable discussion with the Association ‘Ukrtiutiun’.