Excusable business outside the law: an Odesa entrepreneur will stand trial

 A 26-year-old entrepreneur from Odesa will stand trial for organizing the illegal trade of cigarettes and alcohol. The indictment has been sent to the court.

Detectives of the Territorial Office of the ESBU in the Odesa region established that since December 2025, he has purchased illegally manufactured products via Telegram and sold them in specially equipped retail pavilions in Odesa. To store the goods, he used non-residential premises in various districts of the city and in the village of Kryzhanivka, Odesa district.

While documenting the illegal trade, ESB detectives conducted 10 authorized searches in Odesa and the region. As a result, they seized nearly 30 thousand packs of cigarettes, of which more than 26 thousand were without excise tax stamps, almost 49 kilograms of tobacco, and over 1,170 liters of alcoholic products.

Authorities also seized cash, a vehicle, mobile and computer equipment, and rough records. The total value of the seized property is over 6.1 million UAH, of which over 4.2 million UAH is excisable products. The property has been seized.

In addition, 100,000 UAH was transferred to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine as part of the criminal proceedings.

The entrepreneur was notified of suspicion of illegal acquisition, storage, transportation for the purpose of sale, and sale of illegally manufactured excisable goods under Part 1 of Article 204 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. For the committed actions, the entrepreneur faces a fine of up to 170 thousand hryvnias, with confiscation and destruction of the illegally manufactured products.

The pretrial investigation was carried out by detectives of the TO of the ESBU in the Odesa region. Operational support—the Southern Regional Directorate of the SBGS. Procedural guidance—prosecutors of the Odesa Regional Prosecutor's Office.

According to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is considered innocent of committing a crime until their guilt is proven in accordance with the law and established by a court verdict.