Khmelnytskyi region serves notice of suspicion to organisers of clandestine production of counterfeit e-cigarettes
In Khmelnytsky region, law enforcement officers served a notice of suspicion to the organiser and five members of a criminal group that set up an underground production of counterfeit e-cigarettes. This was announced on 9 January 2026 by the National Police of Ukraine.
According to the investigation, the illegal activity was organised by a resident of Khmelnytskyi. He involved five other people in the scheme and set up an underground workshop for the production of e-cigarettes under a fictitious brand. The counterfeit products were sold in Ukraine through online stores and about ten social media chats, which were used to find customers
The group's activities were exposed in December 2025. At that time, police conducted 17 authorised searches at the places of production, storage and residence of the defendants. As a result, almost 30,000 units of finished e-cigarettes, equipment for their manufacture, significant amounts of raw materials, three vehicles, draft accounting books, and more than UAH 650,000 in cash were seized
The total value of the seized property, according to law enforcement estimates, exceeds UAH 14.5 million. In January 2026, the organiser and five of his accomplices were officially served suspicion notices for the illegal manufacture, storage and sale of excisable goods committed by an organised group. Some of the defendants are also charged with money laundering
The Khmelnytskyi Region Prosecutor's Office is in charge of the criminal proceedings. The pre-trial investigation is ongoing
Photo: NPU
