Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law establishing criminal liability with a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison for the production and trafficking of tobacco and tobacco products without a license. The document is published on the official portal of legal information.
The law expands Article 171.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which provides for punishment for the illegal production and trafficking of ethyl alcohol, alcoholic and alcohol-containing products. Now it is supplemented with a new composition that establishes penalties for the production, supply, purchase and storage of tobacco products, nicotine-containing products and raw materials for their production without an appropriate license in cases where such a license is mandatory, committed on a large scale (from 100 thousand rubles). Such violations will be punished with a fine of 500 thousand. up to 1 million rubles, forced labor for up to three years or imprisonment for the same period.
Similar acts committed by an organized group or on a particularly large scale (from 1 million rubles) will be punishable by a fine of 3 million to 4 million rubles, forced labor for up to five years or imprisonment for the same period with possible deprivation of the right to hold certain positions for up to five years.
Another law signed by the Head of State amends the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) of the Russian Federation on the destruction and disposal of tobacco products, nicotine-containing products, packages and labels, as well as basic technological equipment for the production of such products, seized from illicit trafficking. Such material evidence is photographed or videotaped, sealed if possible, and transferred to storage for the period of conducting the necessary research by the decision of the inquirer or investigator. Its order will be established by the Government of the Russian Federation. After research, they are transferred for destruction or disposal.
The regulations will come into force on April 1, 2024.
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