Detectives of the Territorial Department Economic Security Bureau in Odesa region served a notice of suspicion to the organizer of a criminal group of money laundering. Ten other members of the group are suspected of illegal use of trademarks owned by well-known foreign perfume companies.

The investigation established that the perfume production scheme was implemented by an organized criminal group consisting of natives of the Syrian Arab Republic. They equipped the production site and engaged Ukrainian citizens in the work. Each member of the group was assigned a specific role in the production, storage and sale of counterfeit goods. They sold the products not only in Odesa region but also throughout Ukraine. The counterfeit perfumes were sold in bulk and retail via websites, telegram channels and in outlets of the 7 Kilometer market.

As a reminder, the detectives of the ESBU conducted 22 searches at the production facilities, warehouses, points of sale and residences of the involved persons. More than 50 thousand bottles of counterfeit perfumes of well-known world brands and equipment that ensured mass production were found and seized: an automated liquid filling and mixing machine, a printing press, containers with the corresponding concentrate and raw materials, printing, packaging film, sprays, assorted flint glass bottles, dispensers and other goods for bottled perfumes. The total value of the seized goods is over UAH 69 million.

Currently, the organizer of the criminal group was served a notice of suspicion of committing criminal offenses stipulated by Part 1 Art. 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (legalization (laundering) of the proceeds of crime) and Part 3 Art. 229 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal use of trademarks that caused material damage on a particularly large scale, committed by an organized group). Ten members of the organized group were served a notice of suspicion under Part 3 of Art. 229 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal use of trademarks that caused material damage on an especially large scale committed by an organized group).

The pre-trial investigation in the criminal proceeding is being conducted by detectives of the Territorial Department Economic Security Bureau in Odesa region under the operational support of the Strategic Investigations Department of the National Police of Ukraine and the procedural guidance of prosecutors of the Odesa region Prosecutor's Office.