Customs officers seize 5,000 illegal cigarette packs in checked luggage at Palanga Airport

Lithuanian customs officers confiscated 5,000 packs of undeclared cigarettes hidden in a passenger’s checked luggage at Palanga International Airport, state news agency ELTA reported Wednesday.

The contraband—50 cartons (500 packs) of Winston Blue cigarettes without tax stamps—was discovered during a pre-flight inspection of travelers bound for London. Officers noted the passenger’s suitcases were packed almost entirely with cigarette packs, leaving little space for personal belongings.

The traveler claimed to have purchased the cigarettes at a marketplace but provided no receipts or documentation proving duty had been paid. Customs valued the seized goods at €2,530 and issued an administrative violation notice.

Authorities reminded passengers that both carry-on and checked baggage are subject to inspection at airports, urging compliance with tax and customs regulations.