14.4 million counterfeit cigarette packs seized by the BES since the beginning of the year
21 May 2024 14:41
Over the past six months, law enforcement officers have seized almost 14.4 million packs of cigarettes as part of the Interagency Working Group. The budget did not receive more than UAH 706 million in taxes from them alone. This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to the BES press service.
In total, analysts estimate that since the beginning of 2024, the BES has prevented UAH 339.4 million in excise tax from going to the budget.
“Most of these tobacco products have counterfeit excise tax stamps of Ukraine or Duty Free labels. However, according to experts, their main difference is the quality. After all, counterfeit cigarettes are made without compliance with standards and control, from low-quality raw materials and with violations of technological processes,”
– the BES noted.
It should be noted that in September 2023, the Prime Minister of Ukraine gave an order to intensify the fight against illicit trafficking of excisable goods, i.e. alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, etc.
An interagency working group was set up to implement the order. The group includes the Bureau of Economic Security of Ukraine, the State Tax Service of Ukraine, the State Customs Service of Ukraine, the State Audit Service of Ukraine and other law enforcement agencies. The group is coordinated by the BES.
According to the project “Monitoring the Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products in Ukraine” conducted by Kantar Ukraine, in early 2024, the level of illegal trade in tobacco products decreased for the first time to 19.1%, compared to 25.7% at the end of 2023.
