Is the Hoshcha factory still operating?

In the village of Barmaki (Rivne region), law enforcement officers identified one of the transit warehouses for illegal products from the tobacco factory "Hoshcha", officially registered as "Ukrainian Tobacco Production" LLC.

The enterprise is part of the "Monaco" group, linked to Vladyslav Helzin and holding one of the leading positions in the market for counterfeit cigarettes in Ukraine.

Counterfeit brands and fake excise stamps

Although the volume of the seizure was not record-breaking — slightly more than 1,000 cartons of cigarettes — the goods found speak for themselves. All the products turned out to be counterfeits of well-known global brands: Rothmans, Winston, Kent. Moreover, the packs bore fake excise stamps, indicating an attempt to legitimise the counterfeit goods.

In addition, among the confiscated goods, Mustang cigarettes were found, which the "Hoshcha" factory produces officially.

According to information from Yevhen Plynsky