Combating the illegal circulation of excisable products: the police opened 249 criminal proceedings
Since November of this year, under the coordination of the employees of the Department of Strategic Investigations of the National Police of Ukraine, the illegal market for the circulation of excisable products has been conducted. On the facts of illegal circulation of tobacco and alcohol products, as well as illegal circulation of fuel during November-December 2021, 249 criminal proceedings were opened.
National police (DSR, PPP, units of preventive activities of GUNP in the regions and the city. Kyiv), in cooperation with other state control bodies, new methods of work are being introduced that do not block the activities of legitimate enterprises and do not interfere with their economic activities. The activities of law enforcement agencies are aimed at ensuring the completeness of accrual, payment of taxes and determination of real production volumes.
In cooperation with the State Tax Service, control over the volumes of fuel sales from warehouses of one of the largest operators of the oil products market has been started. Factual inspections are also carried out at 2 tobacco factories and 2 alcohol factories.
As part of the fight against the illegal circulation of counterfeit alcohol and tobacco products, the police inspected more than 140 thousand business entities. As a result, more than 36o thousand liters of finished alcohol products, almost 160 thousand ethyl alcohol, more than 1 million 700 thousand packs of cigarettes of various brands, as well as more than 500 kilograms of counterfeit tobacco were found and seized.
As part of the trial, the police compiled 6915 administrative protocols, 178 criminal proceedings were opened.
During the operational and preventive measures, 27 persons were notified of suspicion of committing criminal offenses provided for in Part 1, Part 3 of Art. 204 (illegal manufacture, storage, sale or transportation for the purpose of sale of excisable goods) and Part 2, Part 3 of Article 28, Part 1, Part 3 of Art.. 199 (manufacture, storage, acquisition, transportation, shipment, import into Ukraine for use in the sale of goods, sale or sale of counterfeit money, state securities, state lottery tickets, excise tax stamps or holographic protective elements) Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Violators of the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses may be fined by the court from 17 to 34 thousand hryvnias, in case of proof of guilt in the commission of a criminal offense - imprisonment for a period of 3 to 7 years. In addition, products, vehicles and special equipment may subsequently be confiscated by the court.
Also, since November 2021, the police have been carrying out large-scale measures to combat offenses in the field of illegal traffic of fuel.
Law enforcement officers have already inspected more than 4 thousand objects and stopped the activities of 321 illegal gas stations. During the measures, almost 11 tons of illegal fuel and almost 600 units of specialized equipment for storage and movement worth 43 million hryvnias, as well as tankers worth 89 million hryvnias, were seized. During the period of work, the police compiled more than 2 thousand administrative protocols and opened 71 criminal proceedings under several articles of the Criminal Code:
- Art. 204. Illegal manufacture, storage, sale or transportation for the purpose of marketing excisable goods;
- Art. 366. Service counterfeiting;
- Art. 364. Abuse of power or official position.
Department of Strategic Investigations
National Police of Ukraine
