In the Lviv region, a criminal group has been exposed for organizing the illegal production of tobacco products under the brands of well-known companies. The case is being handled by prosecutors of the regional prosecution office, who have already sent the indictment to the court concerning three members of the criminal group.
According to the investigation, the group’s activities included the production, storage, and transportation of counterfeit tobacco products for their further distribution. Illegal operations were carried out in an underground workshop in Vinnytsia, which was equipped for mass production of the counterfeit.
During the searches, law enforcement officers discovered a significant amount of counterfeit goods, including 8,000 packs of cigarettes and 43,000 packs of finished products without excise stamps, more than 3 tons of tobacco. Also seized were a truck and materials used for packing the counterfeit. The value of the seized property reaches about 7 million hryvnias.
The overall management of the pre-trial investigation was carried out by detectives of the Territorial Office of BEB in the Lviv region, while strategic management was provided by the Department of Strategic Investigations in the Lviv region of the National Police of Ukraine.
According to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, the accused are considered innocent until proven guilty according to the procedure established by law and the pronouncement of a guilty verdict by the court.