The Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine held a meeting to discuss the results of the fight against illicit trafficking of excisable goods.

Last fall, an interdepartmental working group was set up on the instructions of the Prime Minister of Ukraine to intensify efforts to de-shadow the market of excisable goods, i.e. alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, etc.

According to Andrii Pashchuk, the Acting Director of the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine, during the 6 months of work, detectives and investigators from other law enforcement agencies seized 800 tons of alcoholic beverages, 240 tons of alcohol, and 14.5 million packs of cigarettes.

"According to the ESBU analysts' estimates, UAH 881.65 million was not paid to the budget from these goods alone," said the Acting Director of the Bureau.

In total, over the past six months, the Bureau's detectives have initiated 252 criminal proceedings in the field of illicit trafficking of excisable goods.

The detectives of the Bureau seized the most cigarettes and alcoholic beverages in Odesa region, and alcohol in Kyiv.