Фото: VSAT
A district court in Kaunas has fined six people accused of smuggling cigarettes from Belarus. Two former Lithuanian border guards are among those convicted.
According to the investigation, on the night of October 27, 2024, the defendants, having divided responsibilities among themselves and acting together with accomplices from Belarus, used drones to smuggle 33,000 packs of cigarettes worth 148,000 zlotys from Belarus into Lithuania.
Two former employees of Lithuania’s State Border Guard Service (VSAT) were among the defendants. At the time of the offence, they worked as junior VSAT officers. Their role was to ensure that no patrols were present in the relevant section of the border while the cigarettes were being transported.
All six defendants were found guilty of illegal dealings in excise goods. The two former border guards were additionally found guilty of abuse of office, while one person was convicted of illegal possession of a firearm.
The former border guards were fined €21,900 and €22,200, respectively. They were also banned from holding public service positions for four years. The other defendants received fines ranging from €17,200 to €24,900, VSAT reports.