Counterfeit at the price of the original: how Odesa made money on coffee

Detectives of the Territorial Department of the BES exposed and stopped the activities of an underground production facility that produced coffee under the brands of well-known brands.

This was reported by the Territorial Department of the Bureau of Economic Security in Odesa region.

According to preliminary estimates, the value of the seized illicitly traded products exceeds UAH 1.5 million. The case has now been referred to court.

(Photo: BES press service in Odesa region)

The investigation established that the private entrepreneur had been illegally using international trademarks for a long time to produce coffee, which he then sold through online stores. This activity caused significant material damage to the right holders.

(Photo: BES press service in Odesa region)

During the searches, detectives found an underground workshop in Odesa, where they seized about 700 kg of finished coffee products. The man, who organized the illegal business, was served a notice of suspicion of violation of intellectual property rights under Part 1 of Art. 229 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Currently, the collected evidence and the indictment have been sent to court, where the case of illegal use of brand names and infringement of trademark rights will be considered.

(Photo: BES Territorial Office)

Another Odesa resident also set up an underground coffee production facility. He sold the products under the guise of global brands in markets, on the Internet, and in local kiosks.

The Odesa resident set up a room where he packaged coffee raw materials in unsanitary conditions in packages with the identity of global brands. At the same time, the "businessman" had no contracts, permits or licenses to use popular trademarks.

The law enforcement also exposed three residents of Odesa region who set up an illegal business selling alcoholic beverages. During the searches, almost two million hryvnias worth of property was seized from them.