Illegal sale of cigarettes in Volyn: ESBU detectives seized products worth 1.8 million UAH

 Thousands of packs of cigarettes without excise stamps were sold wholesale and retail. The illegal trade was exposed by detectives of the Territorial Office of the ESBU in the Volyn region. During the searches, a significant number of electronic smoking devices were also discovered. The total estimated value of the seized excisable products is 1.8 million UAH.

According to the investigation, the illegal activity was organized by a resident of the city of Volodymyr. The man purchased illegally manufactured excisable products through the Internet and subsequently sold them wholesale and retail to regular buyers.

ESBU detectives conducted a series of searches. Based on their results, 3,200 packs of cigarettes without excise tax stamps and nearly 3,700 electronic smoking devices were seized.

The estimated value of these excisable products is 1.8 million UAH.

Also seized were a vehicle used for transporting the goods, mobile phones, and records that may have evidentiary value for the investigation. All seized property was placed under arrest.

The pretrial investigation is ongoing under Parts 1 and 2 of Article 204 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal storage, sale, transportation for sale of excisable goods). Detectives are establishing the full circle of involved persons.

Operational support is provided by employees of the 6th Border Guard Detachment of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine in cooperation with the Department of the SSU in the Volyn region and the Department of Strategic Investigations of the National Police in the Volyn region. Procedural guidance – prosecutors of the Volyn 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.