The organizer of the underground tobacco workshop will be tried in Arzamas.

      On April 8, 2026, at 19:20, Incidents In the Nizhny Novgorod region, the investigation into the criminal case against a 50-year-old resident of Arzamas, accused of illegal circulation of unmarked tobacco products, has been completed. The materials have been sent to court, reported the regional Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. According to the investigation, in early 2024, the man organized an underground production of tobacco products for subsequent sale. He sold the manufactured products to third parties. The illegal activity was stopped by the employees of the Economic Security and Anti-Corruption Department of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the region, together with the regional FSB department, with the support of the National Guard and the participation of specialists from the Federal Service for Alcohol Market Regulation in the Volga Federal District. The production was located in a warehouse on Kazanskaya Street in Arzamas. During operational-search activities and investigative actions, law enforcement officers seized equipment and raw materials: 43 pallets of cigarette packaging, 27 pallets of filters, a production machine, 6 pallets of cigarette paper, 8 containers of glycerin, and 4 pallets of cotton. Additionally, 89,040 packs of unmarked tobacco products were seized from illegal circulation. According to the investigation's assessment, the defendant's income from illegal activities amounted to about 11.5 million rubles. He has been charged under Part 6 of Article 171.1 and Part 2 of Article 171.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The man admitted his guilt. The criminal case has been sent to the Arzamas City Court for substantive consideration. For such crimes, the punishment ranges from a fine of up to 4 million rubles to imprisonment for up to five years. It was previously reported that raids against the illegal sale of vapes will take place in the region. NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has a Telegram channel. Subscribe to stay updated on major events, exclusive materials, and operational information. Copyright © 1999—2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod". When reprinting, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is mandatory. This resource may contain materials for 18+.