25 tons of tobacco and equipment worth 30 million UAH: the ESBU stopped illegal production. The suspect has been notified of suspicion

 Detectives of the Territorial Office of the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine in the Chernivtsi region notified a Bukovyna resident, who organized the illegal cultivation, processing, and sale of fermented tobacco, of suspicion.

The investigation established that the owner of the farm equipped workshops with machinery for cleaning, sorting, and pressing leaves, and set up container dryers in the yard. The full processing and fermentation of the raw materials took place here; these were then packaged and sold throughout the country.

Detectives from the ESBU conducted six authorized searches – at the suspect's place of residence, the premises of the underground workshop, and associated warehouses. As a result, 25 tons of tobacco raw materials, 12 drying containers, equipment, as well as money, telephones, and draft records were seized. The estimated value of the seized items is UAH 30 million.

Currently, the suspect has been notified of suspicion under Part 1 and Part 2 of Article 204 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal manufacture, storage, or sale of excisable goods).

Operational support is provided by officers of the operational and search unit of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.

Procedural guidance is ensured by the prosecutors of the Chernivtsi Regional Prosecutor's Office.