Department of State Revenue (DSR) of Almaty has uncovered the illegal circulation of counterfeit tobacco products.
According to the press service of the department, DSR officers discovered 18,603 packs of cigarettes without codes (identification means) and with codes of an unspecified type.
The total value of the illegal products is estimated at nearly 17 million tenge.
The materials have been forwarded to the city's judicial authorities for a procedural decision. Administrative and criminal liability is provided for this violation.
"The confiscated excisable goods pose a serious threat to the life and health of citizens. The department urges citizens to be vigilant when purchasing tobacco products of dubious origin", the DSR stated.
The department warned that the authenticity of codes on tobacco products can be verified using the mobile application "NAQTY ONIM".
Recall that in December last year, it was reported that over three days, police seized more than 7 tonnes of alcohol-containing products without the relevant documents from illegal circulation. Around 160,000 packs of illegal cigarettes, over 26,000 vapes, approximately 34,000 cartridges for them, 35,000 oil cubes, and more than a thousand packs of snus were confiscated.