ESBU exposed smuggling under the guise of humanitarian aid: over 36 thousand packs of cigarettes seized in Zakarpattia

 Detectives of the Territorial Office of the ESBU in the Zakarpattia region seized over 36 thousand packs of smuggled cigarettes that they tried to import into Ukraine without excise stamps.

The cigarettes were brought in under the guise of humanitarian aid. The head of one of the charitable organizations submitted documents to the customs office that allegedly confirmed that the cargo was intended for a military unit.

After the customs officers' appeal, the military officially announced that they had not requested aid in the form of cigarettes and did not cooperate with this organization.

The violation was discovered at one of the checkpoints in the Zakarpattia region. After checking, the detectives seized the tobacco products and the vehicle used to transport them.

The pre-trial investigation is ongoing under Part 2 of the Art. 201-4 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (smuggling of excisable goods committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy or on a large scale).

Operational support was provided by employees of the 94th border detachment and the Zakarpattia customs.

Procedural guidance is carried out by prosecutors of the Zakarpattia Regional Prosecutor's Office.