Criminal Groups Selling Counterfeit Agrochemicals Cause Over ₴2 Million in Damages to Rights Holder - NPU

The Cyber Police Department of the National Police of Ukraine has revealed details of a successful operation that led to the dismantling of two criminal organizations engaged in the sale of counterfeit agrochemicals. These groups operated under the guise of a globally recognized brand, supplying products of questionable quality to businesses throughout the country.

According to law enforcement officials, the cyber police, in collaboration with the employees of the territorial office of the Bureau of Economic Security in the Kyiv region, conducted an investigation that uncovered the significant entrepreneurial experience of the suspects in the agricultural sector. They exploited this knowledge to profit from their business peers by selling counterfeit products.

Authorities noted that the criminals utilized a wide range of components for the production of counterfeit agrochemicals. These included both food-grade ingredients and construction mixtures, which served as the basis for manufacturing counterfeit goods. This indicates that the criminals not only violated the law but also posed a threat to public health and the environment.

The products manufactured by the criminals were sold through various online platforms and internet communities, where they masqueraded as distributors for a foreign company. This approach enabled them to conceal their activities and evade accountability.

Investigators have already established that the damages incurred by the rights holder exceed 2 million hryvnias. This reflects the extensive nature of the criminal operations and the serious consequences they could have had for the agrochemical market in Ukraine.

As part of the criminal proceedings, 16 searches were conducted, during which law enforcement seized over 4,000 units of packaging, agrochemicals, and printing materials. It has been determined that these materials were used to produce new batches of counterfeit products, indicating the ongoing nature of the criminal activities.

Currently, six individuals associated with the two organized groups have been notified of suspicion under part 3 of Article 229 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine for the illegal use of trademarks, trade names, and qualified indications of product origin. This underscores the seriousness of the charges and the potential consequences for the perpetrators.

The pre-trial investigation is ongoing, with procedural oversight provided by the Office of the Prosecutor General. Law enforcement continues to work on identifying other possible participants in the criminal scheme and preventing similar offenses in the future.

This situation highlights the importance of combating counterfeit products in Ukraine, as such actions not only harm legitimate producers but also endanger consumer health. As reported by Ukrinform, law enforcement has also uncovered numerous instances of manipulation of accounting documents within one of the major retail chains for household appliances and electronics, indicating a broader issue with violations in this sector.

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