In Odessa, BEB discovered an illegal workshop producing tobacco for hookahs

Detectives from the Bureau of Economic Security in Odessa have disrupted the activities of a large underground workshop disguised as legal production that supplied illegal goods throughout Ukraine.

According to the BEB, illegal production of tobacco products was discovered in this region. A group of individuals organized the production of hookah tobacco and vaping liquids without paying excise duties or state control.

During the investigation, it was found that the members of the group used special equipment to process raw materials into smoking tobacco. They packaged the finished products without excise stamps and sold them in stores and entertainment venues in Odessa and the surrounding areas. To deliver the goods, the organizers used their own transport, disguising it as vehicles of volunteer organizations.

In addition, a portion of the products was sold online through managers who sought customers on social networks across Ukraine. The group members transferred the funds received from sales to bank accounts for savings.

Detectives found that the organizer of the underground production was a resident who involved 17 others in the scheme. The workshop operated as a full-fledged enterprise with its own chemist-technologist, who developed new tobacco flavors in line with market trends.

During 24 searches, law enforcement officers discovered and seized about 57 thousand packages of hookah tobacco with a total weight of over 21 tons, as well as production equipment and seven cars that were used to deliver products. The estimated value of the seized items is over 18 million hryvnias.

The pre-trial investigation is ongoing under Part 3 of Article 204 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, for the illegal manufacture and sale of excisable goods. Investigators are working to identify all individuals involved in this workshop’s activities. Operational support for the case is provided by employees of the Strategic Investigations Department of the National Police in the Odessa region, and the Odesa Regional Prosecutor’s Office carries out procedural management.