The Lithuanian Criminal Customs Service reported the largest seizure of smuggled cigarettes since the beginning of the year. A DAF truck arriving from Latvia was stopped on the Vilnius—Kaunas—Klaipeda highway.
During the inspection, it was found that the semi-trailer was filled with pallets of boxes wrapped in white polyethylene film. After a more detailed inspection, customs officers discovered a large batch of cigarettes inside.
According to preliminary data, the truck contained 19 pallets with 903 boxes, which transported about 451,500 packs of cigarettes of various brands. Some of the products had Belarusian excise stamps, while others were not marked at all.
The value of the seized batch is estimated at approximately 2.4 million euros.
According to Lithuanian law enforcement, the cigarettes may have been produced in underground factories in Latvia. Verification of this information is ongoing as part of a pre-trial investigation.
The truck driver claims that he was unaware of the contents of the transported cargo. He has currently been placed under a preventive measure in the form of a travel ban and mandatory registration with the police. If proven guilty, he could face a fine or imprisonment for up to eight years.
Cigarette smuggling remains one of the most common schemes of illegal trade in the region. According to Lithuanian customs, nearly 7 million packs of illegal cigarettes were seized last year alone as part of criminal investigations, with most of them imported from Latvia.
Lithuanian customs note that in recent weeks, control on the country's main highways has been intensified. In addition to combating illegal migration, the service's staff is paying increased attention to curbing the smuggling of excise goods.
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