The Bureau of Economic Security (BES) has referred an indictment to court against eight members of an organised group that manufactured and sold counterfeit goods presented as products of well-known brands. Investigators estimate the rights‑holders’ losses at more than 98 million UAH; the items included clothing, footwear and headwear bearing Moncler and Stone Island markings, as well as headphones and watches passed off as Apple products.
Organiser and roles of the participants
The organiser of the group was an individual entrepreneur from the city of Busk in Lviv region, who from August 2025 recruited seven people into the illegal business, including his wife and associates. The participants had divided responsibilities: two set up and ran sewing workshops where they produced garments and affixed counterfeit tags and labels.
Others transported fabrics, fittings and finished goods between the production sites, a warehouse and shops. One of the suspects sold counterfeits through a shop in Lviv, another produced fake tags and price labels in his own print shop; the goods were promoted via Instagram, Telegram, the Prom.ua marketplace and an independent online store.
Searches, seizures and charges
Detectives shut down the group’s activities and carried out searches in two shops, a warehouse, two sewing workshops and at the organiser’s place of residence. During the searches they seized large consignments of counterfeit clothing, footwear, headwear, headphones and watches, along with the equipment and materials used to produce the counterfeit goods.
Materials from the criminal proceedings have been sent to court. The group members are accused of the illegal use of trademarks for goods and services, committed by an organised group and causing material damage; the organiser is additionally charged with organising the offence. At the same time, under the Constitution of Ukraine all suspects are presumed innocent until their guilt is proven by a guilty verdict of a court.
