Over 150 searches conducted in Ukraine, exposing a 125 million UAH shadow vape market - Prosecutor General

A shadow vape market worth 125 million UAH has been exposed in Ukraine, with over 150 searches conducted as part of a special operation, Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko reported on social media on Friday, UNN reports.

An illegal business built on people's health, and worst of all—its clients are often young people. Kyiv, Vinnytsia, and Odesa regions—a large-scale special operation against the shadow market of e-cigarette liquids was conducted in three regions simultaneously. Over 150 searches. Products, equipment, cash, hardware, shadow accounting records, and other property worth over 125 million UAH were seized,

According to him, while the regions differ, the schemes are similar. "Prosecutors and law enforcement officers worked through all key stages: from illegal production, packaging, and storage to logistics, sales through shops, financial transactions, and distribution channels across Ukraine," he noted.

"Participants sold nicotine-containing products to buyers by bypassing legislative restrictions. Ready-made vape liquids were masked as separate components: glycerin, propylene glycol, flavorings, and nicotine. In some cases, the nicotine-containing mixture was handed over to buyers as a 'gift.' No state control or payment of excise tax," Kravchenko said.

According to the Prosecutor General, "such liquids do not undergo quality checks, lack certification, and may contain dangerous substances. People do not know exactly what they are inhaling."

"The largest-scale part was in Kyiv and the Kyiv region. An organized group established a full cycle of manufacturing and selling e-cigarette liquids through a network of shops. During more than 100 searches, bottling and packaging lines, tons of raw materials, and property worth over 120 million UAH were seized, including: 3 bottling and packaging lines; over 708,000 units of flavorings, glycerin, and nicotine, as well as over 600 liters of propylene glycol—totaling nearly 9,000 liters of liquids; over 36,000 smoking devices and components; phones, computer equipment, shadow records, and accounting documents," Kravchenko reported.

Next, according to him, was the Vinnytsia region. "A 26-year-old organizer involved two female accomplices, sold illegal liquids through shops, and used 12 front individual entrepreneurs to cover up financial transactions. The turnover amounted to nearly 67 million UAH. Cash, thousands of POD systems, tens of thousands of cartridges, and nearly 93,000 containers of liquids were seized. Three members of the group have been served with notices of suspicion, and the organizer was additionally charged with money laundering. Preventive measures have been chosen for all of them," the Prosecutor General indicated.

And in Odesa, according to his data, "there were also 11 searches at points of sale for excisable goods without documents." "Goods worth over 4.8 million UAH were seized: electronic cigarettes, liquids for them, non-excise cigarettes, hookah tobacco, equipment, mobile phones, shadow accounting, as well as more than 12,000 units of glycerin, nearly 7,000 units of nicotine, about 17,000 units of flavorings, and over 2,600 cartridges for electronic cigarettes," he reported.

All seized items have been sent for forensic examination. The investigation is ongoing. The full circle of individuals involved in the schemes is being established, the Prosecutor General noted.

"My position is principled: the illegal market that profits from addiction and health risks will be systematically destroyed. We continue our work," Kravchenko emphasized.