In 2023, the share of illicit cigarette trafficking increased in the Voronezh and Kursk regions, exceeding the all-Russian figure, according to profile analysts. The increase is mainly due to an increase in the import of illegal products from the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). The budget losses of the five regions of the Black Earth region are estimated at 4 billion rubles. At the same time, in half of the regions, the dynamics of sales of illegal cigarettes decreased against the background of a decrease in the share of counterfeit products. The exception was the Orel region, where, with a decrease in illicit cigarette trafficking, the share of counterfeit goods increased. Customs officers note that interdepartmental cooperation has improved in the control of the import of illegal tobacco, public figures say that it is necessary to "toughen penalties for individuals" among traders.
According to the results of 2023, data on illicit trafficking of tobacco products in the regions of the Chernozem region were presented at the industry conference by the director of the ANO National Scientific Center of Competencies in the Field of Combating Illicit Trafficking in Industrial Products (NSCC) Irina Bushina. The organization includes "duty free fakes", counterfeit goods, illegal import from the EAEU and other countries, bundles of the Russian Federation without excise stamps and bundles with excise taxes with signs of forgery in the concept of "illicit trafficking".
According to the NNCC, the largest increase in illegal tobacco products was recorded in the Kursk region. Illegal cigarette sales in the region increased from 10.9% to 13.9%. Experts estimated budget losses in the region last year at 721.4 million rubles. In the neighboring Voronezh Region, the share of illegal cigarette trafficking increased to 13.6% (12.7% a year earlier). Budget losses here amounted to 1.4 billion rubles.
In the Tambov region, on the contrary, the largest decrease in illicit cigarette trafficking was recorded — their share of the total tobacco turnover in the region halved, from 15.8 to 8%. Budget losses in the region amounted to 582 million rubles. In the Orel region, the level of illegal trafficking decreased to 11.9% from 17.8% last year. Based on this, budget losses in the region could amount to 684.5 million rubles. In the Lipetsk region, the indicator decreased from 13.2% to 10.3%. Budget losses in the region were estimated at 661.8 million rubles. The indicators for the Belgorod region were not presented in the NSCC.
Next, the speaker considered the structure of illicit trafficking in tobacco products. Thus, in the Voronezh region, half of the turnover (58%) is made up of counterfeit cigarettes. In the Kursk region, the share of counterfeit goods from the total volume of illegal cigarettes has increased fourfold compared to last year. In the Lipetsk and Tambov regions, the number of counterfeit cigarettes, according to Ms. Bushina, has significantly decreased, which "led to a decrease in illegal trafficking in these regions." In the Orel region, on the contrary, an increase in counterfeit goods is recorded — by 1.4 times.
Irina Bushina believes that the increase in illicit trafficking in the Voronezh Region is due to a 3.6-fold increase in the share of cigarettes illegally imported from the EAEU countries. "They account for 40% of the shadow market. At the same time, the import of illegal tobacco products from other countries has decreased by five times. The situation is similar in the Kursk region: illegal imports from abroad have decreased by almost four times. Illicit trafficking is growing in the region due to an increase in the import of illegal cigarettes from the EAEU countries, as well as an increase in the share of counterfeit products," explained Ms. Bushina.
In the Lipetsk and Tambov regions, the import of illegal cigarettes increased both from the EAEU countries (2.5 times in each region) and from abroad (1.2 times and 2.4 times, respectively). "In the Orel region, illegal imports from the EAEU have almost halved, and from other countries — by a third," the director of the NSCC added.
According to the NSCC, the largest number of violations was recorded in the Tambov region — 136 points of sale of illegal cigarettes were identified. This is followed by the Kursk region, where 44 points with violations were identified last year. 32 points were identified in the Lipetsk region. In the Orel and Voronezh regions, the activity of control and supervisory authorities is lower - illegal activity was detected in nine and five points, respectively. In total, about 7 million illegal packs of cigarettes were seized in these regions of the Black Earth region.
The share of illicit tobacco trafficking in Russia is 12.6%. The highest concentration of illegal cigarettes was recorded in the North Caucasus (22.3%) and Central (15.9%) federal districts. Most of the products were imported from Belarus (84.5%). Cigarettes were also transported from Armenia (13.6%), Kazakhstan (1.8%) and Kyrgyzstan (0.1%). Budget losses from illegal trade in the country in 2023 amounted to 99.2 billion rubles.
Elena Bannikova, Deputy Head of the Voronezh Consumer Market Department, said that since the beginning of the year, the city administration has drawn up 252 protocols on trade in unidentified places. "The amount of fines amounted to 551 thousand rubles. The illegal sale of cigarettes was detected at three points, but the materials were not compiled, as citizens left the places of trade. In total, 76 places for the sale of tobacco products are provided in the city. At the same time, tobacco is sold in a mixed food group," the official said.
Andrei Klimenko, Deputy head of the Customs Control Service after the release of goods from the Central Customs Administration, confirms that, taking into account the realities, most of the illegal cigarettes come from Belarus. "According to the law, we have the right to control goods of foreign origin. If there are no signs on the product proving its origin from other countries, we are obliged to transfer them to our colleagues in Rospotrebnadzor and law enforcement agencies. In my opinion, the situation with this improved last year. The work should be like a clock: they came out, found, informed, stopped the violation," the customs officer explained.
Denis Terskov, head of the interregional movement against counterfeit products, believes that "it is necessary to toughen the penalties for individuals." "We see that those who trade in counterfeit goods do not register an individual entrepreneur and sell it "rough." It is necessary to punish such sellers with a large coin. Unfortunately, criminal cases are initiated in rare cases, and fines are assigned minimal. For merchants with turnover of 100 billion rubles per year, such fines do not pose a threat. We also need to strengthen interagency cooperation and achieve real deadlines for violators," Mr. Terskov added.
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