The ESBU in the Lviv region has referred a case to court regarding the manufacture of counterfeit excise stamps

 Detectives of the Territorial Office of the ESBU in the Lviv region have completed a pretrial investigation and referred an indictment to court regarding individuals involved in the illegal manufacture of counterfeit excise tax stamps.

It was established that between 2024 and 2025, the organizer, together with a group of individuals, organized the production of counterfeit excise stamps for alcoholic beverages. These were used to legalize illicitly manufactured alcohol for subsequent sale.

Approximately 300,000 stamps were produced during this period. Investigative actions led to the seizure of more than 80,000 counterfeit stamps and the printing equipment used to make them.

An indictment against two individuals has been referred to court. Other suspects have been placed on the wanted list.

The actions have been classified under Part 2 of Article 199 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine—the manufacture, storage, and sale of counterfeit excise tax stamps committed by a group of persons upon prior conspiracy.

Procedural guidance is provided by the Lviv Regional Prosecutor's Office. Operational support is provided by the staff of the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) in the Lviv region.

According to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of committing a crime and shall not be subjected to criminal punishment until their guilt is proven through legal procedure and established by a court's verdict of conviction.