In Khmelnytskyi, the police uncovered an illegal tobacco factory that allegedly produced up to 30,000 packs of cigarettes. About this reported press service of the National Police.
According to the investigation, a group of people organized the illegal production of tobacco products, disguising them as well-known trademarks. In particular, cigarettes were produced without a filter. In a non-residential building on the territory of Khmelnytskyi, a full-cycle industrial line was installed – from tobacco grinding to packaging of finished products. The capacities allowed to produce up to 30 thousand packs per day.
Ready-made fakes were sold through wholesale buyers, delivering products to transshipment points directly from underground production. During the investigation, the police seized cigarettes, raw materials for their production and special equipment with a total value of over 11 million hryvnias.
As noted in the National Police, the organizers of the illegal business took care of the conspiracy: the factory worked in closed mode, products were loaded in specially designated places, and autonomous power was provided in case of a power outage.
Tobacco, printing products and other components for the mass production of counterfeit cigarettes were transported by various means of transport, regularly changing the delivery routes to the underground workshop.
The law enforcement officers conducted more than ten searches at the location of production, at transshipment points and vehicles used to transport the goods. An industrial line and special equipment for the manufacture of cigarettes, about 19.5 tons of tobacco, almost 100,000 packs of cigarettes of various brands without excise stamps, printing products, mobile phones and draft records were seized.
Currently, the identification of all persons involved in the organization of underground production is ongoing, with the aim of bringing them to justice. Investigative actions are carried out under the procedural guidance of the Lviv Regional Prosecutor’s Office within the framework of criminal proceedings opened under part 2 Art. 204 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal manufacture, storage, sale or transportation of excise goods).
