In the Chernivtsi region, border guards, in collaboration with the Security Service of Ukraine, thwarted the operations of illicit cigarette smugglers attempting to transport 23,000 packs of tobacco across the Ukrainian-Romanian border.

Acting on preemptive information from operational personnel of the Chernivtsi border guard detachment, a joint interagency group discovered a group of unknown individuals with packages near the border. Upon the arrival of law enforcement, the offenders fled the scene to evade responsibility, leaving their cargo behind.

After inspecting the area adjacent to the border, border guards found 46 boxes of cigarettes without Ukrainian excise tax stamps and tools for overcoming engineering structures. The estimated value of the confiscated tobacco is nearly UAH 2 million. Following the completion of necessary documentation, the seized goods were handed over to the Bureau of Economic Security of Ukraine. A notification under Article 204 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine ("Illegal manufacture, storage, sale, or transportation for sale of excisable goods") was also submitted.