Marshall Finest Tobacco Ukraine LLC, registered in the village of Ostriv, Ternopil region, officially positions itself as a legal manufacturer of tobacco products. However, criminal proceedings No. 72024171100000002 dated January 18, 2024 record the facts of illegal manufacture and sale of cigarettes without Ukrainian excise stamps, partly under the guise of duty free products.
During the searches, law enforcement officers seized large batches of cigarettes of the Urta, Brut, Marshal de luxe, Slims and other brands that did not have excise markings. Some of the products were stored in a cargo container marked "For duty free sale only", which may indicate an attempt to evade taxation through falsified logistics routes.
The investigation established close ties between Marshall Finest Tobacco Ukraine LLC and United Tobacco LLC from Zhovti Vody. Both companies previously had legal addresses in the same building, which may indicate coordination of activities. In March 2022, Marshall moved to the Ternopil region.
The company is currently located on the territory of the meat processing plant of MP Ivan Chaykivskyi in the village of Ostriv. Formally, the director is Ihor Bratchenko, the beneficiary is Margarita Rybun, but sources in the regional administration claim that the real controller is Dmytro Chumachenko, Chaykivskyi's partner.
Despite criminal proceedings and signs of shady activity, Marshall Finest Tobacco Ukraine continues to hold a valid license for the wholesale trade of tobacco products, while law enforcement and regulatory authorities are not taking effective measures to stop the violations.
