Investigation Service of the Ministry of Finance of Georgia continues to work actively, in terms of  exposing and suppressing facts of storing, transportation and selling of cigarettes without excise on the whole territory of the country.

As a result of operative searching and investigative activities carried out, representatives of Investigation Service exposed three facts of storing, transportation and selling of large quantity of goods subject to marking, without excise marks, by group of people in Samegrelo – Zemo Svaneti region and arrested three persons.

As a result of investigative activities, in two cases, different types of cigarettes without excise (2 880 packs in total) were seized from the vehicles driven by the accused persons. In third case 3 000 packs of cigarettes without excise marks, were seized from the apartment of the accused person.

Total market value of cigarettes seized as a result of investigative activities estimates more than GEL 14 000.

Investigation is underway under first and second parts of Article 200 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which envisages imprisonment from 4 to 6 years.

Hereby, we would like to underline, that Investigation Service together with Revenue Service actively continues to expose and suppress facts of administrative offence such as storing, transportation and selling of cigarettes without excise marks. Corresponding prevention activities are carried out permanently in trading facilities. From January 1 to May 11 of the current year, 172 facts of administrative offence of the above mentioned category were exposed by the representatives of Investigation Service and Revenue Service on the whole territory of the country. More than 14 000 packs of cigarettes without excise marks were seized on the basis of administrative procedures. In this same period the Investigation Service started investigation of 31 criminal cases. Number of cigarettes seized is 46 051 packs. Criminal prosecution was initiated on 25 persons.