In Kharkiv, excise stamps were forged - the largest scheme has been uncovered.

In Kharkiv, a large underground production of fake excise stamps was uncovered, which caused losses to the state budget of tens of millions of hryvnias. Special services discovered that the organizer of this scheme was a former law enforcement officer from Kharkiv, who, together with two citizens from Turkey, produced high-quality fake stamps. They were as realistic as the original, with holograms and complex elements. These forgeries were actively sold across the country, particularly among shadow alcohol producers, posing a threat to public health. During the special operation, law enforcement officers detained the criminals 'in the act' while producing fake stamps. More than 2.5 million forgeries, industrial equipment, raw materials, and other evidence were found. Currently, the issue of announcing suspicions against three individuals under criminal law is ongoing, for which they face up to 12 years in prison with asset confiscation. The investigation continues. Also, in Odesa region, smugglers of excise goods from Turkey were detained, which is part of a larger problem of smuggling in Ukraine.