In one of the villages of the Lviv community, law enforcement officers shut down an underground workshop where counterfeit alcohol was being produced, imitating products of well-known brands. The estimated value of the seized goods is around 500 000 UAH. This was reported by the Lviv Regional Prosecutor’s Office.
According to the investigation, the workshop operated on the premises of both residential and non-residential buildings. The alcoholic beverages produced there were sold both wholesale and retail.
During searches at the site of the illegal activity, officers discovered and seized more than 2 100 l of alcohol, 366 bottles of vodka of various brands with forged excise duty stamps, 75 l of cognac showing signs of counterfeiting, almost 24 l of cognac concentrate, as well as tools for producing counterfeit products and other evidence.
Under the procedural guidance of the Lviv Regional Prosecutor’s Office, detectives of the Territorial Department of the Bureau of Economic Security in Lviv region launched a pre-trial investigation under Part 1 of Article 199 and Part 2 of Article 204 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – possession and acquisition of forged excise duty stamps for the purpose of using them in the sale of goods, as well as the illegal production, storage and sale of excisable goods. Operational support is being provided by the Office of the Security Service of Ukraine in Lviv region.
The property seized during the searches has been placed under arrest and a number of expert examinations have been ordered. Once the expert analyses have been completed, a decision will be made on whether to notify the persons involved of suspicion.