The SBU blocked several schemes of illegal import and distribution of counterfeit excisable tobacco goods from the separate districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions and self-styled Transnistria.

Allegedly, one of the illegal channels operated in the Luhansk region. Three local residents arranged the supply of counterfeit cigarettes manufactured at the production facilities of the so-called LNR. The offenders transported the counterfeit across the Siverskyi Donets River and stored it in the caches located in the forest. The perpetrator sold the cigarettes to retail chains across the country.

The law enforcement exposed the organizers of the scheme near Stanytsia Luhanska during the next shipment of 14 boxes of tobacco products. In addition, another 36 boxes of counterfeit goods worth more than UAH 1 m. (USD 36,000) were seized from two warehouses.

The SBU blocked another scheme in Khmelnytskyi region. It was established that illegal shipments were organized by five residents of Khmelnytskyi, Odesa and Kyiv regions. They smuggled counterfeit goods to Ukraine via a transport company under the guise of consumer goods.

Counterfeits were distributed via retail chains throughout Ukraine.

The law enforcement officers searched the offender’s warehouses in city of Khmelnytskyi. During the investigation, a consignment of counterfeit tobacco products worth more than UAH 200,000 (USD 7,000) was seized.

The investigation is ongoing. All the circumstances of the schemes and the persons involved are being established.

The operations were conducted by the SBU regional departments jointly the SBU Main Directorate for Combating Corruption and Organized Crime with the servicemen of the Operational and Tactical Group “Pivnich”, jointly with the State Fiscal Service and under the supervision of the Prosecutor's Office.