Counterfeit tobacco and alcohol in Lviv region: BEB sent three cases to court

Detectives of the Territorial Department of the Bureau of Economic Security in the Lviv region have completed the investigation of three criminal cases related to the illegal circulation of excisable goods. The indictments have already been sent to court.

It was established that the criminals organized the process of purchasing, storing and transporting illegally manufactured tobacco products and alcoholic beverages without excise stamps, with the aim of further sale. The goods were sold both through personal contacts and in cash without being reflected in tax reporting.

In one case, a resident of the Lviv region purchased and stored counterfeit cigarettes without excise stamps for further sale. During the investigative actions, more than 1,100 packs of tobacco products were seized.

In another case, a resident of the region organized the storage of excisable products. She accumulated over 2,100 packs of cigarettes and 112 bottles of alcoholic beverages without excise stamps, ready for sale without the necessary permits.

Another person involved in the case was engaged in the purchase and transportation of illegally manufactured cigarettes without excise duty. In total, we are talking about over 1,000 packs, some of which were planned for sale, including outside Ukraine.

During the practice, significant amounts of illegal goods were seized, which indicates the systematic nature of criminal activity and its goal – obtaining illegal profit.

The pre-trial investigation was conducted under Part 1 of Article 204 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine with the participation of detectives of the TU BEB in the Lviv region, and the procedural side was controlled by prosecutors of the Lviv Regional Prosecutor’s Office.

It is worth noting that according to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is considered innocent of committing a crime until his guilt is proven in court.