Law enforcement officers seized more than 800,000 cigarettes, packets for packaging 13 million cigarettes in Comrat and detained two members of the criminal group responsible for clandestine production of cigarettes and smuggling. Prosecutors from the Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Organised Crime and Special Cases (PCCOCS), together with officers from the Intelligence and Security Service (SIS), carried out searches in Chisinau and in the south of the republic, where the clandestine cigarette production factory was located, as well as at the homes of the two detainees.

“Six cigarette production lines were found in the factory, which carried out the entire production process (grinding, fermenting tobacco, producing, packaging and applying the counterfeit excise stamp).

In addition to more than 800,000 cigarettes marked with excise stamps with obvious signs of counterfeiting, 44,000 excise stamps with obvious signs of counterfeiting, new packets (printing material) for packaging 13 million cigarettes, about 8 tons of raw tobacco for production, between 2-3 tons of fermented tobacco prepared for bulk production, matrix for cigarette production and other consumables (glue, additives, packaging, cigarette boxes and packs, etc.) were also seized,” PCCOCS announces.

According to the criminal file, the cigarettes were to be smuggled to Ukraine. Following the searches, the person responsible for managing the production process and one of the organisers of the illicit scheme were detained. At the request of PCCOCS prosecutors, the two men, aged 40 and 49, were remanded in custody for 30 days.

Investigations are continuing, including into other members allegedly involved in this kind of illicit activity, PCCOCS officials said.