A network of illegal vapes has been busted in Ukraine

Law enforcement conducted a large-scale special operation across the country aimed at exposing and disrupting the illegal production and distribution of e-cigarettes and e-liquids, which operated as an extensive underground network with production facilities, warehouses, and retail outlets in nearly all regions.

According to the investigation, these are organized groups that established industrial production of counterfeit products, formally holding only partial licenses but actually manufacturing and selling nicotine-containing e-liquids under the guise of other goods, which allowed them to evade excise tax payments and generate excessive profits.

As part of the operation, investigators conducted nearly 300 searches at production facilities, warehouses, and retail outlets, seizing products, raw materials, equipment, and cash totaling approximately 170 million hryvnias, and documenting unpaid excise taxes of about 100 million hryvnias.

Law enforcement officials note that the counterfeit mixtures were often manufactured without any quality control and without adhering to basic safety standards, creating additional risks for consumers, while the scheme itself was structured as a full-fledged “shadow” market with a clear division of roles between production, logistics, and sales.

As part of the operation, nearly one million units of flavorings, glycerin, and nicotine were seized, along with over a thousand disposable vapes, thousands of units of ready-to-use e-liquids, significant quantities of tobacco for hookahs without excise stamps, as well as equipment for mass production and bottling of liquids, mobile devices, and cash.

As a result of the investigation, eight suspects have been charged, and law enforcement continues to determine the full scope of the network and all those involved in organizing the illegal business.