An underground cigarette factory was uncovered in the Chernivtsi region
Operatives from the Strategic Investigations Department of the National Police, together with other law enforcement agencies, exposed a group of individuals who had organised an underground cigarette production facility in the Chernivtsi region.
According to the investigation, the factory operated in the Chernivtsi district. An industrial production line was set up in a non-residential building, equipped with the necessary raw materials, printing equipment, filters and other equipment.
The factory operated in a closed mode. To mask the significant consumption of electricity, the organisers installed a diesel substation, which ensured the uninterrupted operation of the production line.
The underground factory had the capacity to produce more than 50,000 cigarettes per day.
The finished products were sold under the logos of Ukrainian and European manufacturers. Sales were carried out through retail chains, Telegram channels, and postal operators. Packs were labelled with Ukrainian excise tax stamps of unknown origin.
According to law enforcement officials, three Ukrainian citizens and three citizens of the Republic of Moldova were involved in the illegal activity.
During operations carried out last year, operatives from the National Police's Strategic Investigations Department, together with detectives from the Economic Security Bureau, seized products and property worth over UAH 15 million.
Among the seized items were a full-cycle line for the production of tobacco products, 70,000 packs of cigarettes, over 1,600 kilograms of tobacco, more than one million foreign excise tax stamps with signs of counterfeiting, as well as 153 boxes of printed products and over 100 rolls of materials for the manufacture and packaging of cigarettes.
Based on the evidence gathered, detectives from the Economic Security Bureau notified six members of the group of their suspicion. Their actions were classified under Part 2 of Article 28, Part 2 of Article 204, and Part 1 of Article 204 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which concern the illegal manufacture, storage, sale, or transportation of excise goods.
The pre-trial investigation is ongoing. The Office of the Prosecutor General is in charge of the proceedings.
