The State Tax Service under the Ministry of Economy of Azerbaijan, together with the Food Safety Agency and other government authorities, conducted large-scale inspections of retail outlets. As a result, violations related to the excise marking of excisable goods were identified at 57 locations.

During the inspections, specialists found alcoholic beverages and tobacco products without excise stamps, as well as goods showing signs of counterfeit markings. Relevant legal proceedings have been initiated in connection with the violations, and some of the products have been withdrawn from circulation.

At wholesale and retail outlets and catering establishments, authorities seized 6,192 units of alcoholic beverages with a total volume of 4,300 liters, 132 beer barrels with a total volume of 4,980 liters, and 99 boxes of tobacco products.

A separate violation was identified at a production facility in the Kurdamir District. Alcoholic beverages were being produced there without registration with the tax authorities. The premises contained 1,288 counterfeit excise stamps, 25,000 liters of unpackaged alcohol of unknown origin, as well as equipment and materials used for illegal production.

In Azerbaijan, the manufacture, acquisition, possession and sale of counterfeit excise stamps, as well as the sale of goods bearing such markings, are subject to criminal liability.

To strengthen controls over the legality of products, the State Tax Service has also introduced a new feature in the E-Tax mobile application. In the “Services” → “Tracking System” section, consumers can scan the QR code on the packaging or excise stamp to verify information about the product. If discrepancies are identified, users can send an electronic report to the relevant authority.

The agency notes that strengthened controls are aimed at reducing the shadow economy, protecting consumers and ensuring a level playing field for market participants.

Earlier, an unscheduled inspection in Baku’s Khazar District uncovered 49,050 bottles of beverages, each with a volume of 330 ml, stored in the garage of a private house in the settlement of Chol Shuvulan. The products were sold under various brands.

The inspection found that the expiry dates on some of the beverages had been altered, while the dates had been removed from others. The remaining products had already passed their expiry dates.