As a result of investigative actions in one of the border villages of Lviv region, a line for the illegal production of tobacco products with a filter of a full production cycle was exposed.

The clandestine line, which was used for the illegal production of large volume of cigarettes, was exposed thanks to the persistent work of the operational units of the State Border Guard Service, including the use of criminal analysis, and the Security Service of Ukraine.

They also found modern equipment, including a packaging machine and its components, a large number of finished tobacco products with filters of several well-known brands, raw materials and packaging materials. Additionally, in the course of the operation, 12 citizens of Ukraine, residents of eastern, central and western regions, who directly serviced the equipment, were identified.

The operation was conducted within the framework of criminal proceedings with the participation of operatives, criminal analysts of the Mukachevo Border Guard Detachment and the SSU, as well as with the support of the Dozor special unit of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.

The estimated value of the detected equipment and counterfeit tobacco products produced at the shadow market is over UAH 37,000,000.

The products manufactured at the clandestine production facility were intended for distribution among dealers in the border areas involved in smuggling cigarettes to the EU countries.

The pre-trial investigation of the criminal proceedings under these circumstances is being conducted by investigators of the SSU Main Investigation Department under the procedural supervision of the Prosecutor General's Office and operational support of the Main operational and investigation division of the Mukachevo Border Guard Detachment and the SSU operatives.