91,000 packs of “criminal” cigarettes removed from illegal circulation
By order of the Minister of Internal Affairs Denis Monastyrsky, the National Police of Ukraine continues the operation “Excise”, the main purpose of which is to stop illegal trade without paying taxes in the markets of fuel and tobacco products.
In particular, in Zaporizhzhia, operatives of the Department of Strategic Investigations of NPU together with local employees of the Strategic Investigations Department and BPOP managed to detain a VAZ car on one of the streets of the regional center.
Inspecting the car, law enforcement officers found 4 thousand packs of non-smoking cigarettes totaling more than 200 thousand hryvnias.
In connection with this fact, the Zaporizhzhya police collected the relevant materials with the subsequent introduction of information to the ERDR on the basis of the composition of the crime provided for in part 1 of Article 204 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Currently, priority investigative (search) actions are underway, aimed at identifying and documenting all participants in the criminal scheme.
In the meantime, the issue of arrest on the seized property is being decided in court. We are talking about a vehicle and tobacco products.
In general, within the framework of the elaboration of the specified administrative practice by the employees of the Strategic Investigation Departments of the Department of Strategic Investigations of the NPU with the involvement of other units of the National Police in the areas, more than 250 protocols on administrative offenses under articles 156 and 164 of the Code of Administrative Offenses have already been drawn up in the areas. As a result, 91 thousand packs of tobacco products with signs of counterfeiting and without excise tax stamps were removed from illegal circulation.
For example, employees of the Department of Strategic Investigations in the Odessa region drew up protocols on administrative offenses under Articles 164 and 156 of the KUPP regarding drivers of cars that transported tobacco counterfeit. As a result, more than 50 thousand packs of cigarettes of “Marlboro”, “Compliment” and “Ritm” brands without excise tax stamps of Ukraine were seized from illegal circulation.
Department of Communications of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine
