Penza, 8 August 2014. PenzaNews. Nearly 42 thousand bottles of alcohol with fake federal excise stamps were seized from illicit traffickers in Penza.

“The product was marketed through an extensive network of buyers. Bottles of alcohol, marked with fake federal excise stamps not made by Goznak, were sold by the orchestrator of the illegal business at below market price. Employees of the department of economic security and anti-corruption of the city department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs located several underground warehouses with alcohol and established their owner. It appeared to be an individual entrepreneur, who confessed to the crime,” the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Penza region told news agency “PenzaNews.”

The ministry clarified that the seized products were sent to a forensic center for analysis.

“A criminal case was instituted on the fact of the illegal use of federal excise stamps for marking counterfeit alcoholic beverages,” the press service said.