In the Kyiv region, law enforcement uncovered a large underground workshop where counterfeit coffee was produced under the guise of original Lavazza products — one of the most popular Italian brands. According to the Office of the Prosecutor General, the value of the property seized during the searches amounts to nearly 20 million hryvnias.
This is reported by Finway
“The counterfeit products did not undergo any sanitary quality control, which could pose a real threat to consumers’ health.”
Organization of Illegal Business
The investigation established that the organizers of the scheme had previously operated legally: they had an official business and collaborated with the rights holder of the Lavazza trademark. However, after the contract ended in 2021, they decided to continue producing coffee under the brand name without the necessary permits and approvals.
The production was organized in warehouse premises in the Kyiv region. Here, the coffee was roasted, packaged, and put into branded bags. The finished products were sold throughout Ukraine via a network of online stores, popular marketplaces, social media, messengers, and through direct supplies to cafes in various regions.
Scale and Consequences of Underground Activity
To mask illegal income, the criminals involved fictitious individuals, registering them as fake individual entrepreneurs through which they received payments from customers. According to the investigation, all counterfeit products did not undergo any quality control, creating a potential danger to consumers’ health.
Law enforcement conducted 22 searches, resulting in the seizure of industrial equipment, printing products, raw materials, vehicles, cash, and thousands of packages of counterfeit coffee.
Currently, efforts are underway to identify all individuals involved in the organization of the underground production. Notifications of suspicion are being prepared for the suspects.
