Three Lithuanian Border Guards Detained In Cigarette Smuggling Case

Seven people have been detained in Lithuania in a case involving the smuggling of Belarusian cigarettes. Three of them are Lithuanian border guards.

On Monday, Sept. 7, border guards seized 22 boxes of cigarettes in the Lazdijai district near the Belarusian border. The shipment was reportedly delivered there using drones, the Lithuanian Border Guard Service reports.

Two people who had arrived to collect the cigarettes were detained near the boxes. Two junior specialists from a border post were also detained. At the same time, two more people were detained in Valkininkai on suspicion of organizing the transportation of the contraband. Another person, a senior investigator with the Varėna Border District, was detained at his workplace in Varėna in the morning.

This year, four Lithuanian border guard service officers have already been detained on suspicion of corruption-related crimes. There were two such cases in 2025.