Police Uncover Scheme for Illegal Production of Cigarettes and Alcohol Worth 10 Million UAH

Law enforcement authorities have halted the activities of a group that organized the illegal production and sale of excise goods in Kyiv and the Kyiv region. The losses to the shadow market amount to 10 million UAH. Two residents of Kyiv region established a scheme for selling duty-free cigarettes of well-known brands, using a garage in the outskirts of the capital as a warehouse. In Vasylkiv, they set up an underground production of surrogate alcohol, which they sold under the guise of vodka and fruit-berry drinks. As a result of sanctioned searches, the following items were seized: over 148,000 packs of cigarettes without excise tax stamps, more than 1,500 liters of ethyl alcohol, 550 liters of finished surrogate products, as well as equipment and raw materials for alcohol production. Criminal proceedings are being investigated under Articles 204 and 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Expert examinations have been appointed to address the issue of the suspects' charges.