Lithuanian police chief: detained officers will be treated as enemies if convicted

Lithuania’s police commissioner-general has condemned 13 officers detained on suspicion of involvement in a cigarette smuggling ring, warning they will be considered “enemies, not colleagues” if found guilty, politika.lt and ELTA report.

Arūnas Paulauskas called the case “painful” for the entire institution, emphasising that the vast majority of Lithuania’s 7,200 officers risk their lives daily for modest pay. “When a handful seek easy money by collaborating with criminals, it discredits the whole system,” he said in an interview published Tuesday.

The 13 detained include 10 police officers and three border guards, part of a broader operation that has seen 27 arrests linked to smuggling networks using meteorological balloons to transport cigarettes. Paulauskas confirmed investigators identified law enforcement involvement early in the probe, with arrests made last week after evidence was documented.

The crackdown follows a surge in cross-border smuggling, with over 60 arrests since December. While multiple agencies handle such cases—including customs and border police—Paulauskas said police took the lead due to the balloon tactic’s high-profile use. “Influencing Belarus is difficult, but we can target those receiving and distributing the goods in Lithuania,” he explained.

Regional police units in Vilnius, Alytus, and Utena assisted the Criminal Police Bureau in the operation. Paulauskas acknowledged that while balloons triggered the focus, the networks had operated for years using various methods, including hidden truck compartments.