Prosecutors of the Kherson Regional Prosecutor's Office, together with investigators from the Main Directorate of the National Police in the Kherson region, with the operational support of the employees of the Department of Strategic Investigations of the National Police of Ukraine, uncovered and halted the illegal production and sale of counterfeit alcoholic beverages in the city of Kherson and the surrounding area.

According to the investigation, a group of individuals established mass production of surrogate alcohol from raw materials of unknown origin, without any state control and in violation of sanitary standards. The counterfeit products were manufactured in an illegal workshop near the regional center. Alcohol was diluted with water, after which the liquid was poured into containers. The finished "products" were sold both wholesale and retail through trading points, stores, and cafes.

During authorized searches, law enforcement officers shut down the underground workshop, seized special equipment, over 15,000 liters of alcohol-containing substances of unknown origin, 450 liters of flavoring agents used to imitate taste, 930 packs of cigarettes without excise stamps, cash, mobile phones, bank cards, and accounting records. All seized alcohol-containing products have been sent for expert examination.

Currently, measures are underway to identify all individuals involved in the illegal activities and to notify them of suspicion.

A pre-trial investigation is ongoing regarding the illegal production, storage, sale, or transportation for the purpose of sale of excise goods that pose a threat to the life and health of people (Part 3 of Article 204 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).