In Dnipro, the SBI stopped the operation of a factory producing counterfeit cigarettes, which was "covered" by officials and law enforcement officers (VIDEO)

The State Bureau of Investigation systematically counteracts smuggling and legalization of illegal income of high-ranking officials and representatives of "criminal elites". Another proof of the effectiveness of this work was the exposure of large-scale production of counterfeit cigarettes in Dnipro.

The SBI employees in Dnipro shut down an underground factory that produced counterfeit cigarettes on an industrial scale.

The "enterprise" was uncovered in the framework of a large-scale operation to stop illegal activities of criminal groups operating under the cover of officials, law enforcement and tax authorities employees.

The factory operated in rented premises owned by the family of the former deputy head of Dnipropetrovsk regional state administration. This premises was "on paper" transferred to the use of a municipal enterprise of Dnipro, which was paying the rent from the local budget.

The production facilities produced "fakes" of world famous cigarette brands. Only one line of the factory produced 4 thousand cigarettes per minute.

The criminals, who acted in close cooperation with some representatives of the administration of law enforcement and tax authorities of the region, distributed the finished products throughout Ukraine. But the geography of counterfeit supply also covered other countries, in particular, the goods were smuggled to the EU countries.

During the searches in the manufacturing and office premises, employees of the SBI found and seized seals and documentation on the financial and economic activities of the entities involved in the illegal scheme of manufacture and sale of products, legalization of proceeds, draft records, computer equipment, cash in foreign and national currency totaling more than EUR 172 thousand, USD 140 thousand, about UAH 500 thousand, as well as a batch of 60 thousand packs of cigarettes ready for shipment.

Investigative activities continue. The involvement of representatives of the tax service and law enforcement agencies in the fraud is being documented.

The pre-trial investigation is being conducted within the framework of the criminal proceeding on abuse of power (Part 2 of Art. 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) and tax evasion (Part 3 of Art. 212 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

Procedural guidance is provided by the Prosecutor General's Office.