Illegal circulation of excise goods worth 13 million hryvnias was detected in the Lviv region

Detectives of the Territorial Administration of the Bureau of Economic Security in the Lviv Region have uncovered illegal activities related to the sale of excise goods without appropriate excise stamps.

In the course of the pre-trial investigation, it became known that a group of persons organized a supply and trade channel for tobacco products and alcoholic beverages through retail outlets in the region.

Illegal products were stored in non-residential premises, which served as warehouses, from where the goods were transported to stores for further sale to consumers.

Law enforcement officers conducted authorized searches, during which more than 253,000 packs of cigarettes of various brands were seized. Also, 233 cardboard containers with a liquid with a characteristic smell of alcohol, the total volume of which exceeds 2300 liters, were discovered.

The preliminary estimate of the value of seized excise goods is about 13 million hryvnias.

The investigation continues as part of criminal proceedings under the first part of Article 204 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which provides for punishment for the illegal manufacture, storage, transportation and sale of excise goods.

Procedural management in this case is carried out by the prosecutors of the Lviv Regional Prosecutor’s Office. Note that according to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, every person is considered innocent until his guilt is proven in accordance with the law and confirmed by a court verdict.