Detectives of the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine exposed a scheme of illegal storage and sale of electronic smoking devices without excise tax stamps and hookah tobacco in Odesa region.

The investigation uncovered a group of persons who starting in 2022, carried out illegal acquisition, storage and transportation for the purpose of selling excise goods.

The aforementioned electronic cigarettes were subsequently sold in Odesa and the rest of Ukraine via the Internet. Such actions led to non-payment of excise tax in particularly large amounts.

Detectives of the ESBU searched warehouses and retail premises, residential buildings and the office of an online store.

As a result of the searches more than 8,000 electronic cigarettes of various well-known manufacturers, more than 8,700 pieces of hookah tobacco including russian-made ones and more than 7,000 pieces of liquid for filling electronic cigarettes were found. Excise products with an estimated value of UAH 6 million were seized. Illegal trade has been stopped.

In addition,detectives of the ESBU are checking the involvement of business entities involved in the illegal sale of the mentioned tobacco products in the financing of the aggressor country.

Investigative actions are ongoing the full range of persons involved in illegal activities is being established.

The pre-trial investigation in criminal proceedings on the grounds of a criminal offense provided for in Part 3 of Art. 212 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (tax evasion) and Part 1 of Art. 204 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal manufacture, storage, sale or transportation for the purpose of sale of excise goods) is carried out by detectives of the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine under the procedural guidance of prosecutors of the Prosecutor General's Office.

It will be recalled that recently the ESBU notified the head of a state-owned enterprise of suspicion for aiding and abetting the seizure of budget funds worth UAH 3 million.