The ESBU in the Kyiv region referred a case of illegal e-liquid production to the court

 Detectives of the Territorial Office of the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine in the Kyiv region have completed a pre-trial investigation in criminal proceedings regarding the illegal production and circulation of e-liquids. The indictment has been referred to the court.

The investigation established that a group of individuals organized clandestine activities across the Kyiv, Vinnytsia, Zakarpattia, and Lviv regions. The suspects established a full cycle of counterfeit production using specially equipped industrial lines.

Residents from various regions of Ukraine were involved in the illicit activity. Some were responsible for procuring raw materials, while others handled the manufacturing and subsequent sale of counterfeit products through a network of illegal retail outlets and online platforms.

In the course of 11 authorized searches, ESBU detectives seized a liquid production line, packaging and labeling equipment, 70 boxes of finished counterfeit electronic cigarettes without excise tax stamps, pod systems, cartridges, components, glycerin, propylene glycol, printed materials with logos of well-known brands, computer equipment, mobile phones, rough notes, and clandestine accounting records.

The illegal production has been shut down. The estimated value of the seized assets and inventory exceeds UAH 10 million.

The organizer of the illicit activity has been notified of suspicion under Part 1 and Part 2 of Article 204 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal storage, sale, or transportation for the purpose of sale of excisable goods). The indictment has been referred to the court.

Operational support was provided by detectives of strategic economic protection of the Territorial Office of the ESBU in the Kyiv region, in cooperation with operatives of the 7th "Carpathian" Border Guard Detachment and a joint interagency group of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, with tactical support from the "DOZOR" special unit.

Procedural guidance in the criminal proceedings is provided by prosecutors of the Kyiv Regional Prosecutor's Office.