A large-scale operation to destroy 4.5 million units of tobacco products with a total value of over 1.5 billion tenge took place in the Abai region.
According to the press service of the Agency for Financial Monitoring (AFM), the destruction was carried out in the presence of a special commission, which included representatives of law enforcement agencies, public figures, environmentalists, opinion leaders and independent observers.
It has become known that since the beginning of the year, AFM officers:
- identified 39 cases of illegal tobacco product trafficking;
- seized over 3.4 million packs of cigarettes;
- liquidated 2 underground workshops producing them;
- sent criminal cases against 9 individuals to court.
“All seized counterfeit products are subject to destruction in accordance with a court decision. If you know where illegal tobacco products are being sold, do not remain indifferent. Call number 1458. Anonymity is guaranteed,” the statement reads.
It should be recalled that earlier the Supreme Audit Chamber (SAC) reported that Kazakhstan lags behind other countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) in terms of the number of labelled goods. It was noted that the country still does not have an approved methodology to determine which goods should be prioritised for labelling.
For example, five years ago Kazakhstan introduced labelling for tobacco products, but illegal products continue to be imported. It has become known that last year law enforcement officers seized over 16 million packs of contraband tobacco products, which is 4.5 times more than three years ago.