Network for illegal sale of e-cigarettes worth 3 million hryvnia dismantled in Kyiv

Authorities in Kyiv have dismantled a network engaged in the illegal distribution of tobacco products. The perpetrators were selling e-cigarettes and hookah tobacco of unknown origin, evading the payment of mandatory taxes to the state budget. Preliminary estimates put the total value of the seized assets at 3 million hryvnia.

How the scheme worked

According to law enforcement, the organisers of the illegal business were selling goods that lacked excise stamps. Two channels were used to distribute the products: physical specialised shops and online platforms.

What was seized during the searches

During the investigative actions, detectives from the Bureau of Economic Security (BES) seized a significant quantity of goods. Specifically, over 3,000 smoking systems and hundreds of packs of hookah tobacco were confiscated. In addition to the merchandise, law enforcement officers seized computer equipment, cash, and a cargo vehicle used for transporting the products.

Who participated in the operation

The operation to dismantle the distribution channel was carried out by detectives from the BES territorial office in Kyiv Oblast, jointly with border service officers serving at the Kyiv International Land Port of Entry. Procedural oversight of the criminal proceedings is being exercised by the Kyiv Oblast Prosecutor's Office.

The investigation is ongoing. Law enforcement officers are identifying the sources of the counterfeit products and establishing other potential participants in the criminal scheme.

It is worth noting that recently, at the Shehyni port of entry on the Ukrainian-Polish border, law enforcement officers discovered hundreds of e-cigarettes. At that time, the driver stated that the goods were intended for further sale in Kyiv. Customs officers drew up the relevant protocol, and the seized cigarettes were handed over to the customs warehouse.