Фото: VSAT
Cigarette smugglers on the border with Lithuania are resorting not only to airborne smuggling methods using weather balloons and drones, but also to simpler techniques.
According to the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service, border guards in the Varėna district noticed bundles of goods flying over the fence installed along the border with Belarus on Thursday evening.
Several patrol units and a canine officer with a service dog were dispatched to the village of Pieščiai. About 60 meters from the state border, officers found nine boxes of cigarettes. A short time later, a 24-year-old man who had previously been caught by border guards was detained nearby.
The boxes contained 1,260 packs of Minsk 5 Superslims and NZ Gold cigarettes bearing Belarusian excise stamps. The total value of the shipment was estimated at around 7,000 euros.
This was not the only success for Lithuanian border guards. On Tuesday, they carried out a search in Radviliškis. At a private property, officers discovered a van containing 133 boxes of cigarettes — a total of 66,300 packs worth more than 350,000 euros.
The homeowner attempted to barricade himself inside the house but eventually surrendered. Another suspect fled the scene but was later detained at a gas station nearby. The men were placed under arrest. A criminal case has been opened. Authorities are continuing efforts to locate other suspects who managed to escape.