Detectives of the Territorial Department of the Economic Security Bureau in Poltava region exposed residents of Kremenchuk district who set up a full cycle of production and sale of counterfeit cigarettes.

The offenders used special equipment to grind leaf tobacco and add flavouring agents to it.

The finished cigarettes were sold in kiosks and markets in Kremenchuk mainly for cash.

During the search of the premises, law enforcement officers seized almost 1,000 kg of tobacco more than 370 packs of cigarettes, machines for cutting, crushing, filling tobacco, packaging and processing of finished products, more than 1 million cartridges for filling and 15 litres of flavourings. The value of the seized equipment without equipment is almost UAH 1.5 million.

The pre-trial investigation on the grounds of a criminal offence stipulated by Part 2 Art. 204 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal manufacture of excisable goods) is being conducted by detectives of the Territorial Department of the ESBU in Poltava region under the procedural supervision of the Prosecutor's Office of Poltava region and operational support of the employee of the SSU in Poltava region.