Alcohol from a home workshop: Based on ESBU materials, a counterfeit manufacturer will stand trial

 At home, the man mixed alcohol with water, poured the mixture into bottles, marked them with counterfeit excise stamps, and sold them. Detectives of the Territorial Office of the ESBU in the Volyn region have completed their pretrial investigation regarding a resident of Lutsk.

According to the investigation, the man was not registered as a businessman and did not hold a license for the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages. Moreover, he had previously been convicted of similar offenses.

The Lutsk resident set up the underground production in a utility room. The man ordered alcohol and counterfeit excise tax stamps via the internet and bought empty bottles at a glass recycling collection point. Subsequently, he diluted the alcohol with water, poured the mixture into bottles with vodka and cognac labels, corked them, marked them with falsified excise stamps, and sold them. He used the funds received from the illegal trade for his own needs.

Detectives seized about 400 liters of alcohol-containing products, counterfeit excise tax stamps, equipment, devices for mixing and bottling alcoholic beverages, and cigarettes without excise tax stamps.

The expert examination confirmed that the seized liquids do not meet state standards and the excise stamps are counterfeit.

The suspect has been notified of suspicion under part 2 of article 204, part 1 and part 2 of article 199, and part 1 of article 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The pretrial investigation is completed. The indictment has been sent to court with a plea bargain agreement.

Operational support was carried out by employees of the Department of Strategic Investigations in the Volyn region of the DSI of the National Police of Ukraine. Procedural guidance is provided by prosecutors of the Volyn Regional Prosecutor's Office.