The key facts
- The raid at MosTabak on Leningradsky Prospekt lasted about five hours; six boxes of products without legal confirmation for sale were seized
- The trigger was a public raid by SHOT PROVERKA and Healthy Fatherland: vapes and liquids blocked in Chestny Znak were found on the shelves
- The question of opening a case on illegal trafficking of unmarked products on an especially large scale is being considered; the chain owns 122 locations in Moscow and more than 200 across Russia
Five-hour inspection after a public raid
In Moscow, law enforcement agencies conducted a large-scale inspection of a retail outlet of the MosTabak tobacco chain on Leningradsky Prospekt. The reason was a joint public raid by the SHOT PROVERKA project and the Healthy Fatherland movement, during which vapes and liquids blocked in the national marking system Chestny Znak as prohibited from sale were found on the store's shelves.
Seizure of products and possible criminal case
The inspection involved officers of the Economic Security and Anti-Corruption Directorate (UBEP) and forensic specialists. The operational actions lasted about five hours. Following the inspection of the premises, six large boxes of suspicious products lacking legal confirmation for sale were seized. The question of opening a criminal case for illegal trafficking of unmarked products on an especially large scale is currently being considered. According to Life.ru, if violations are confirmed, those responsible may face punishment of up to six years of imprisonment.
Previous claims against the chain
The chain has 122 locations in Moscow and more than two hundred stores across Russia. According to the publication, its activities have repeatedly drawn criticism from regulatory bodies: Rospotrebnadzor previously issued dozens of warnings to entrepreneurs associated with the chain for selling tobacco products bypassing the marking system. During previous inspections, samples of seized products showed an excess of the maximum permissible nicotine content by almost 1.7 times.
Context: possible generational ban
Earlier, Life.ru reported that Russia may introduce a so-called generational ban on the sale of nicotine-containing and alternative tobacco products. According to the proposal, the restrictions would affect citizens born after January 1, 2009 — the oldest of them are now about seventeen years old. The ban would cover vapes, e-cigarettes, chewing mixtures and hookah raw materials; according to the authors' idea, access to these goods will not open even after reaching adulthood.
