Southern Customs Administration

Astrakhan Customs officials are conducting inspections at retail outlets in the Astrakhan and Volgograd regions to detect, suppress the sale and storage of foreign-made tobacco products without excise stamps of the Russian Federation

In the course of customs inspections in February 2024 in four grocery stores in Astrakhan and Volgograd revealed violations. On the showcases and under the counters of the stores were found 1166 packs of tobacco products of foreign origin, 974 packs of cigarettes produced in the EAEU countries and Russia. On the detected tobacco products there were no excise stamps of compulsory marking by means of identification, and entrepreneurs did not have shipping documents for these products. This means that excise duty has not been paid to the Russian budget from this batch of tobacco products, and buyers are deprived of the opportunity to check information about the quality of the goods and their origin

The products have been withdrawn from civil turnover. Astrakhan Customs initiated 3 cases on administrative offenses under article 16.21 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation (illegal use, purchase and storage of foreign-made goods, which are illegally moved across the customs border of the EAEU)

The case materials on tobacco products produced in the EAEU countries and Russia without mandatory marking by means of identification were sent to law enforcement authorities for decision-making within the framework of administrative legislation.

The case materials on tobacco products produced in the EAEU countries and Russia without mandatory marking by means of identification were sent to law enforcement authorities for decision-making within the framework of administrative legislation