The SBU exposed an interregional group engaged on the industrial production of counterfeit hazardous food products.

Allegedly, the offenders set up illegal manufacturing and packaging of coffee, spices, seasoning, pasta, jelly and sugar, which do not meet the requirements of SStU. They set up underground production workshops in rented warehouses in Volyn, Kyiv, Mykolaiv and Cherkasy regions.

The SBU established that the products were manufactured in unsanitary conditions, in violation of the requirements of SStU under the guise of known brands. The offenders sold the manufactured counterfeit products in different regions of Ukraine. They also sold it to the temporarily occupied territories in Donetsk and Luhansk regions via trade network.

The law enforcement officers conducted more than 20 searches at the underground workshops, where they seized more than 600 tons of hazardous goods with an estimated cost of more than UAH 20 million (USD 704,200). The law enforcement found 6 lines of industrial equipment for the counterfeit manufacturing, “black” accounting books, printing products and pack for illegally manufactured goods.

The issue of seizing property is being decided.

The investigation is ongoing to bring the perpetrators to justice.

The operation was conducted in coordination with the SBU Main Directorate of Economic Counter-Intelligence Protection of the State's Interests jointly with the SBU Offices in Volyn, Kyiv, Mykolaiv and Cherkasy regions under the procedural supervision of the Volyn Region Prosecutor's Office.