Detectives of the Territorial Department of the Economic Security Bureau in Zakarpattia region served a notice of suspicion to members of an organized group of illegal use of trademarks for goods of trademarks owned by well-known foreign companies.

The investigation established that an organized group of residents of Zakarpattia region manufactured and distributed counterfeit household chemicals under the guise of goods of well-known world manufacturers.

Each member of the organized group was assigned a specific role in the process of manufacturing and selling counterfeit products. To cover his illegal activities, the group organizer registered his own trademark. However, no goods were actually produced under the registered brand. The members of the organized group sold the finished products wholesale and retail, directly from the production facilities and through Internet sites.

Thus foreign companies that have registered their trademarks in Ukraine and have international registration suffered material damage in the total amount of over UAH 1.6 million.

Currently all members of the organized group have been 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 a particularly large scale committed by an organized group). The organizer and two perpetrators of the crime were chosen bail as a measure of restraint.

The pre-trial investigation in the criminal proceedings is being conducted by detectives of the SBU Territorial Department in Zakarpattia region with the operational support of the Cybercrime department in Zakarpattia region of the National Police of Ukraine and under the supervision of prosecutors of the Zakarpattia Regional Prosecutor's Office.