The Department of Strategic Investigations of the National Police of Ukraine announced a large-scale special operation against the illegal market of electronic cigarettes and vape liquids. This is stated in the department’s Telegram channel.
According to law enforcement officials, 272 searches were carried out throughout the country as part of the operation. Investigators announced suspicions against eight people involved in the case. The total value of the seized property is approximately UAH 170 million.
The police said that they had uncovered an organized group that had established industrial production of counterfeit products in Kyiv and the Kyiv region. According to investigators, under the guise of “strength enhancers,” the defendants actually produced and sold nicotine-containing liquids for vaping through a network of retail outlets, minimizing the payment of excise taxes.
Employees of the Department of Strategic Investigations of the National Police of Ukraine, investigative units of regional police departments, the Bureau of Economic Security of Ukraine, the Office of the Prosecutor General and regional prosecutor's offices were involved in the special operation.
During the searches, law enforcement officers seized almost 970 thousand units of flavors, glycerin and nicotine, more than 6 thousand sets of liquids for electronic cigarettes, 1,147 disposable electronic cigarettes, 1,910 units of hookah tobacco without excise stamps, as well as 1,590 liters of nicotine-containing liquids, flavors and propylene glycol.
In addition, more than 343 thousand units of packaging and printing products, almost 2 million UAH in cash and three automated production complexes for the mass production and bottling of liquids for electronic cigarettes were seized.
According to preliminary estimates of the investigation, due to the activities of this scheme, the state budget lost more than UAH 100 million in excise tax.
