Investigation Service arrests two over possession of ultra-large quantities of illicit, non-excise tobacco products

Officers of the Investigation Service of the Ministry of Finance of Georgia, following operational search activities and targeted investigative procedures, have arrested two Georgian citizens for possession of ultra-large quantities of excise-dutiable goods lacking mandatory tax stamps.

The investigation established that, to sell the products and secure illegal financial gain, the defendants clandestinely stored a total of 40,600 packs of non-excise cigarettes, including ‘Platinum’, ‘Manchester’, ‘Winston’, and ‘Kent’ brands, across various concealed locations in Tbilisi, including a garage in their possession. The combined market value of the seized goods exceeds 235,000 GEL.

According to the Ministry of Finance’s Investigation Service, an investigation is underway under Parts 2 and 3 of Article 200 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which carries a penalty of imprisonment ranging from 6 to 8 years.