Фото: Таможня Литвы
Lithuanian customs officials reported intercepting another shipment of illicit cigarettes from Latvia.
A DAF truck with Latvian registration was stopped near the settlement of Babtai. The driver stopped at a bus stop, which raised the suspicions of a customs patrol. Customs officials pulled up alongside the vehicle and inspected the cargo.
“The Latvian citizen initially claimed he was transporting polystyrene foam for a Lithuanian company, but only the rear part of the semi-trailer was loaded with the declared goods. Almost the entire rest of the semi-trailer was filled with boxes of Winston and Minsk Superslims cigarettes. Customs officials suspect that the cigarettes were produced at an illegal factory that has been operating in Latvia for several years”, the statement said.
A total of 412,000 packs of cigarettes worth 2.1 million euros were found in the vehicle.
The truck driver was detained. An investigation has been launched. A court ordered that he be remanded in custody for two months.
A week ago, customs officials reported the seizure of a similar shipment. Its value was estimated at 2.4 million euros. Some of the cigarettes were also counterfeit versions of Belarusian brands.