Lithuanian interior minister calls corruption arrests a success despite embarrassment
Thirteen police officers and border guards have been suspended from duty in Lithuania following an investigation into cigarette smuggling, Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovičius confirmed in an interview with national broadcaster LRT on Thursday.
Speaking on the programme Dienos tema, Kondratovičius acknowledged the arrests were “painful” but described them as a sign of progress in combating corruption. The officials were detained as part of an ongoing probe into a large-scale contraband operation.
“It is embarrassing, of course, but it is also a success—it shows that our systems are working,” the minister said. He did not provide further details on the individuals involved or the scale of the smuggling network.
The suspensions come amid broader discussions on Lithuania’s emergency preparedness after a drone incursion earlier this week triggered the country’s first-ever air raid alert. Kondratovičius addressed criticisms of the response, noting isolated cases of confusion—such as civilians being directed to assembly points rather than shelters—but stressed that most systems, including public SMS alerts, functioned as intended.
He also confirmed that technical failures in the LT72 mobile alert app, which crashed under high traffic during the drone incident, were under review. A meeting with service providers had been held, he said, with plans to identify and resolve the issue within days.
On the topic of bomb shelter accessibility, Kondratovičius pushed back against Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė’s suggestion that shelters remain unlocked at all times. While acknowledging the 12-hour preparation window was “the maximum allowed,” he cited practical challenges, such as schools using shelters for storage or classes. Instead, he proposed designating responsible individuals in each municipality to unlock shelters on short notice, with legal clarifications on accountability expected soon.
“There are solutions—key boxes, for example, like those used in short-term rentals,” he said. “We will find a way.”