BES liquidates underground cigarette manufacturing workshop in Kyiv region

Detectives of the Territorial Department of the Bureau of Economic Secruity (BES)in Kyiv region uncovered an underground workshop for mass production of cigarettes, industrial equipment and raw materials worth over UAH 2.2 million were seized from the suspects, the BES press service has said.

The investigation established that in the Brovary district, a group of individuals had set up a full-fledged production workshop on the territory of a private household, with an industrial line capacity of over 4 thousand packs of cigarettes per day. Finished products without excise stamps were sold under the guise of well-known brands - some were sold in the Kyiv region, some were sent to buyers by mail in other regions.

BES detectives, together with operatives of the State Border Service, conducted searches in the production premises and at the residence of the suspects. The estimated value of the seized goods and materials is over UAH 2.2 million.

"BES systematically and consistently counteracts the shadow market of excisable goods. In total, since the beginning of the year, BES detectives in the Kyiv region have seized almost UAH 75 million worth of excisable goods from illegal circulation," said the head of the detective unit, Mykola Ulmer.

The pre-trial investigation is ongoing on the grounds of a criminal offense under Article 204 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal manufacture, storage, transportation of excisable goods). Operational support is provided by employees of the Kyiv checkpoint of the State Border Guard Service, and procedural management is provided by the Kyiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office.