Cigarettes of well-known brands without excise stamps with an estimated value of UAH 6 million were seized by the SBU detectives in Odesa region. The SBU identified a suspect who rented a warehouse and planned to store a wholesale batch of cigarettes for further sale; the full range of persons involved is being established.
This is reported by UNN, with reference to Telegram the Bureau of Economic Security of Ukraine.
Details
In Odesa region, the BES seized almost 76 thousand packs of cigarettes. The agency notes that they found well-known brands without excise tax stamps with an estimated value of UAH 6 million, which were planned to be stored by a resident of Odesa for further retail sale in the city.
It was established that the resident of Odesa purchased a wholesale batch of cigarettes for further retail sale in Odesa. The offender rented a warehouse where he planned to store the counterfeit.
The full range of persons involved in the scheme of illegal sale and origin of the goods is currently being established. The pre-trial investigation is under way on the grounds of a criminal offense stipulated by Part 1 Art. 204 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal manufacture, storage, sale or transportation for sale of excisable goods).
Recall
An entrepreneur tried to bribe a police officer in the amount of USD 4,000 after he was caught selling counterfeit alcohol.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has approved a draft law that provides for a gradual increase in specific excise tax rates on cigarettes by 2028 to the minimum level set by the EU directive.