Russian citizen arrested in Georgia for illegal sale of non-excise alcohol

Investigators from Georgia’s Ministry of Finance have arrested a Russian citizen on charges of illegally storing and selling alcohol without excise stamps.

The Investigative Service on Saturday said the suspect unlawfully stored and sold alcoholic beverages subject to mandatory excise marking in order to obtain financial gain. The product in question was identified as Beluga vodka.

The individual was detained immediately after selling the non-excise goods.

Authorities said investigative actions are ongoing to identify and expose other possible individuals involved in the alleged offence.

The offense is punishable by imprisonment for six to eight years.