The BEB dismantled a large-scale distribution network for illegal vapes in Poltava
Detectives from the Territorial Directorate of the State Bureau of Investigation in Poltava Oblast uncovered a large-scale scheme involving the sale of excise-taxable goods and shut down fourteen outlets selling illegal vapes in several districts of the city.
This was reported by the BEB.
The underground business was organized by a group of individuals from Poltava and Kharkiv, who set up an extensive network of retail kiosks. Electronic cigarettes and liquids of dubious origin were sold without the required licenses, mandatory excise tax stamps, or the issuance of fiscal receipts.
During authorized searches, law enforcement officers seized over 1,100 disposable e-cigarettes, more than 1,300 bottles of pre-filled e-liquids, and approximately 400 special component kits from illegal circulation. In addition, detectives discovered nearly 30,000 vials of raw materials for e-liquid production, including glycerin, flavorings, and nicotine flavor enhancers, as well as mobile phones and cash. The total market value of the excise goods seized from the retail locations is approximately 5 million hryvnias.
A pre-trial investigation is currently underway to identify all individuals involved in organizing the illegal activity and bring them to justice. Detectives continue their systematic efforts to combat the shadow market for excise goods in the region.
In Chernivtsi, detectives from the Economic Security Bureau exposed a group of individuals who had established an illegal sale of vapes, e-liquids, and hookah tobacco without licenses or excise stamps, conducting a series of searches at ten locations across the city.
A large-scale special operation was conducted in Ukraine against the illegal market for vapes and e-cigarette liquids, during which nearly 300 searches took place in various regions of the country. Law enforcement officers seized products and equipment worth hundreds of millions of hryvnias and notified the suspects of the charges against them.
