The Department of the Financial Monitoring Agency (AFM) of the Pavlodar region has completed a pre-trial investigation into an organised criminal group suspected of the illegal sale of smokeless tobacco products, vapes, and flavours and liquids for them.
According to the agency's press service, the banned products were sold via three online shops on the Telegram messenger, using courier delivery.
During investigative measures, over 53,000 units of products worth more than 400 million tenge were seized from illegal circulation.
The investigation established that to cash out criminal proceeds, group members used so-called droppers, in whose names bank cards were registered.
It is noted that the main consumers of the products sold were minors — schoolchildren and students.
With court approval, three cars — a Toyota Land Cruiser, Toyota Highlander and Chevrolet Camaro — purchased with criminal proceeds were seized.
Currently, four suspects have been placed in custody. The materials of the criminal case have been sent for further consideration in accordance with the procedure established by law.
It is worth recalling that in August, the AFM Department of Astana uncovered a large wholesale network involved in the illegal trafficking of electronic consumption systems (vapes), flavours and liquids for them.
During a search, police seized more than 490,000 vapes, the revenue from the sale of which could have exceeded 6 billion tenge.