For 11 months of 2023 Kursk customs officers together with the police found in the domestic market about 96 thousand packs of imported cigarettes without marking with special Russian identification marks. The tobacco products were seized by police officers for expert examination. According to its results, depending on the value of the goods, decisions will be taken on the initiation of administrative or criminal cases.
In spring of the current year in Kursk region a criminal case was initiated on the fact of purchase, storage and sale of 18.5 thousand packs of tobacco products subject to mandatory marking with special excise stamps (p. «b» part 6 of article 171.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).
«Counterfeit cigarettes are dangerous for people, – noted Maxim Tikhomirov, Deputy Head of Kursk Customs. Their production does not comply with the mandatory requirements of the Technical Regulations on tobacco products on production technology, ingredients contained in tobacco products, the content of tar, nicotine, carbon monoxide in the smoke of cigarettes».
It is not difficult to identify illegal cigarettes. Cigarette packs do not have original excise stamps of the Russian Federation and marking with special Russian identification marks, cigarettes are sold for cash at a price much lower than the market price, often cigarettes have non-specific odors.
About sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products with violations of mandatory labeling can be reported to the Kursk Customs by phone (4712) 537660. Verification measures will be carried out for each fact.
Sergey Bryantsev,
spokesman of Kursk Customs
BryantsevSP@ctu.customs.gov.ru
8 (4712)55-65-19