In Novokuznetsk, Kemerovo Region, local resident will be tried on charges of selling unmarked tobacco products

Investigator of the MIA of Russia Division for the city of Novokuznetsk completed the investigation of a criminal case, instituted against a 34-year-old local resident. He was charged with committing a crime stipulated by part 6 of Article 171.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation "Production, acquisition, storage, transportation or sale of goods and products without marking and (or) applying information provided for by the legislation of the Russian Federation".

In April 2021, officers of the Division for Economic Security and Combating the Corruption of the MIA of Russia Administration for Novokuznetsk received information that tobacco products with obvious signs of counterfeit were sold in two stores located in the Novoilyinsky District of the city. The payment for tobacco products during the sale was accepted from buyers only in cash, no money was registered with the cash desk, checks were not issued.

During the verification of the information received, the police found that the stores belonged to an individual entrepreneur who carried out entrepreneurial activities in the retail sale of various goods. As a result of the measures taken, the operatives seized about 29,000 packs of cigarettes in stores, as well as in the warehouse rented by the entrepreneur. The study showed that the tobacco products were marked with fake excise stamps. The total value of the seized products amounted to more than 1.1 million rubles.

During the investigation, the defendant confessed and explained that he had found information about the sale of counterfeit cigarettes on the Internet. After on-line payment, cigarettes were delivered directly to his warehouse.

At the moment the criminal case has been sent to the court. The sanction of the Article of the indictment stipulates a punishment of up to 6 years in prison.