Lithuanian interior minister says no complaints against deputy linked to detained border guard

Lithuania’s Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovičius has stated he has no objections regarding Deputy Minister Alicija Ščerbaitė, who is distantly related to one of the border guards detained in a major cigarette smuggling investigation, LRT reports.

Speaking to journalists on Friday, Kondratovičius confirmed the detained officer is a “fourth or fifth-generation relative” of Ščerbaitė, noting such distant connections are common in smaller regions like Šalčininkai. “In districts like these, almost everyone is a fourth or fifth cousin, former classmates, and so on,” he said.

The minister emphasised he has “no complaints” against the deputy minister and has received no signals from law enforcement suggesting information leaks. “Whatever each official needed to know within their competence, they knew,” Kondratovičius stated. He acknowledged Ščerbaitė may have been aware of some operational details but stressed no information was improperly disclosed.

Ščerbaitė participated in working group meetings on combating smuggling, though a separate investigative team—typically led by another deputy minister—handles sensitive case details, Kondratovičius clarified.

The comments follow last week’s detention of 27 individuals, including 10 Vilnius police officers and three State Border Guard Service (VSAT) personnel, in a probe into cigarette smuggling from Belarus using weather balloons. Authorities have pressed abuse-of-office charges, suspended the officers, and seized assets worth €4.2 million from 49 suspects. A municipal employee in Šalčininkai district is also under investigation.

The Interior Ministry has linked potential corruption among officials to systemic issues, including inadequate training, equipment shortages, and flaws in motivation systems. Kondratovičius called the operation a “painful success,” highlighting failures in prevention, officer preparedness, and public tolerance of smuggling.