The ESBU in the Kyiv region has sent a case to court regarding the manufacture of counterfeit cigarettes

 Detectives of the Territorial Office of the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine in the Kyiv region have referred a criminal proceeding to court regarding a person who organized the manufacture of counterfeit tobacco products.

The investigation established that the suspects set up a full-scale production workshop on the territory of a private household in the Brovary district. The technological capacities and industrial lines allowed for the production of more than 4,000 packs of cigarettes per day.

The finished products, without excise tax stamps, were sold under the guise of well-known brands. Part of the counterfeit cigarettes was sold within the Kyiv region, while another part was sent by mail to various regions of Ukraine.

During the searches, ESBU detectives seized industrial equipment and raw materials for the manufacture of tobacco products with an estimated value of over UAH 2.2 million.

ESBU detectives, together with operatives from the State Border Guard Service, conducted searches in the production premises and at the suspects' places of residence. Equipment, tobacco, filters, raw materials, and significant volumes of finished products were seized.

The estimated value of the seized inventory and assets is over UAH 2.2 million.

The organizer of the illegal activity has been notified of suspicion under Part 1 and Part 2 of Article 204 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal manufacture, storage, and transportation of excise goods).

Operational support is provided by the employees of the separate checkpoint "Kyiv" of the State Border Guard Service; procedural oversight is conducted by the Kyiv Regional Prosecutor's Office.