Detectives of the Territorial Department of the Economic Security Bureau in Kyiv region together with border guards seized cigarettes without excise tax stamps worth UAH 1.4 million from illegal circulation.

The investigation established that a criminal group operates on the territory of Kyiv region which sells illegally manufactured tobacco products throughout Ukraine.

In order to hide their illegal activities individuals constantly changed cigarette sales points and warehouses for their storage.

Detectives of the ESBU conducted an urgent search of a car in the city of Boryspil which was used to transport falsified products.

Employees of the Bureau discovered several thousand packs of illegally manufactured cigarettes without excise tax stamps. The driver could not explain the origin of this product.

According to the results of searches, 20,000 packs of cigarettes and a vehicle were seized from illegal circulation. The estimated value of the seized is UAH 1.4 million.

The investigation is ongoing. The full range of persons involved in illegal activities and the ways of supplying counterfeit products are established.

The pre-trial investigation under Part 1 of Art. 204 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine is carried out by detectives of the Territorial Department of the ESBU in Kyiv region in cooperation with the border guards of the operational and investigative department of the "Kyiv" checkpoint of the DPSU. Procedural management is carried out by prosecutors of the Kyiv Regional Prosecutor's Office.