In the city of Odesa, the Security Service of Ukraine prevented smuggling of a large batch of tobacco products into our country. The perpetrators were planning to smuggle almost 600 boxes of excisable goods, worth about UAH 15 m (USD 536,000) through the Chornomorsk Fishing Port.

The SBU together with the customs officers found the illegal cargo in a container that arrived from one of the countries of the Persian (Arabian) Gulf. The cigarettes were hidden among the consumer goods, listed in the customs clearance.

According to preliminary estimates, the value of the seized cigarettes is almost UAH 15 m at black market prices.

The operation was carried out by the SBU Office in Odesa region, together with the SBU Main Directorate for Combating Corruption and Organized Crime, Odesa Customs, the National Police and Border Guard officers.

To remind, the SBU systematically blocks the illegal movement of goods across the state border. Last week, the SBU blocked the channel of illegal import of tobacco products into the Ukraine at the Odesa International Airport. SBU officers found 100,000 packs of cigarettes with an estimated value of more than UAH 3 m (USD 107,000).