Detectives of the ESBU Territorial Department in Kyiv and Kyiv region exposed a large-scale scheme of selling illegally produced tobacco and alcohol.

It has been established that a group of people have been supplying illegally manufactured tobacco products from Chernivtsi region since mid-2022. The counterfeit products were stored in a village in Kyiv region.

Subsequently, cigarettes under well-known brands without excise tax stamps were sold in the Kyiv region.

Detectives conducted 7 searches of residential buildings and warehouses in Chernivtsi region. As a result of the searches, almost 200 thousand packs of tobacco products and e-liquid were found and seized. Also, more than 1.5 thousand liters of counterfeit alcohol were seized during the searches.

The estimated total value of the seized excisable goods is over UAH 12.1 million.

The full range of persons involved in the scheme is currently being identified.

The pre-trial investigation in the criminal proceeding on the grounds of a criminal offense under Part 1 of Art. 204 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal storage and transportation with intent to sell excisable goods) is being conducted by detectives of the Territorial Department of the ESBU in Kyiv and Kyiv region under the procedural supervision of prosecutors of the Kyiv regional prosecutor's office.

Recently, detectives of the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine under the operational support of the main operational and investigative department of the Chernihiv Border Detachment of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, exposed a scheme for the illegal production and sale of diesel fuel and gasoline. More than 700,000 liters of fuel worth about UAH 12 million were seized.