Officers of the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service stopped an attempt to smuggle tobacco products in the Vilkaviškis district. Border guards detained two local residents and seized a batch of 25,000 packs of Belarusian cigarettes which, according to preliminary data, had been thrown from a moving freight train.
The operation was carried out last Thursday by criminal intelligence officers of the Pagėgiai Border Guard Unit together with the Kovas special unit. While checking operational information about the illegal unloading of goods from a train travelling on the Kybartai–Kėna route, border guards discovered around fifty factory cardboard boxes on the railway tracks.
Two men aged 34 and 45 were detained at the scene. During an inspection of the surrounding area, in the yard of a nearby homestead, border guards also found a Volkswagen Crafter minibus with Lithuanian licence plates. It is believed that the vehicle was intended to transport the illegal cargo.
In total, 25,000 packs of NZ Gold cigarettes with Belarusian excise stamps were seized. The value of the shipment, including all taxes, exceeds 110,000 euros.
A pre-trial investigation into the illegal handling of excisable goods has been launched at the Pagėgiai Border Guard Unit under the supervision of the Kaunas District Prosecutor’s Office. The offence carries a possible penalty of up to eight years in prison. After questioning, the suspects were released under travel restrictions, the State Border Guard Service press office said.
