Police dismantle major cigarette smuggling operation in Šalčininkai district

Lithuanian police have disrupted a large-scale cigarette smuggling ring in the Šalčininkai district, seizing contraband tobacco transported via balloons and confiscating high-tech equipment used to evade law enforcement, LRT reports.

Officers from the Vilnius County Chief Police Commissariat’s Organized Crime Investigation Board, together with the Šalčininkai District Police Commissariat and the Public Order Office’s Special Preparedness Division, conducted a successful operation on Thursday. Authorities intercepted two suspicious vehicles in a forest near Naujasodis village, Jašiūnų eldership, which had been prepared for transporting illegal goods.

Near the vehicles, police discovered 24 boxes of contraband cigarettes marked with Belarusian tax stamps. Investigators believe the cigarettes were smuggled into Lithuania using balloons—a method increasingly employed by criminal groups to bypass border controls.

Two suspects were detained at the scene, while a third individual, initially able to flee, later surrendered to the Šalčininkai District Police Commissariat after realizing authorities had identified him. Searches of the suspects’ vehicles, residences, and storage spaces uncovered a total of 24 boxes containing 12,000 packs of NZ-brand cigarettes, with an estimated street value—including unpaid taxes—of around €65,000.

Police also seized a range of technical equipment used to coordinate the smuggling operation and obstruct law enforcement, including GPS devices, signal jammers, binoculars, night-vision gear, computers, mobile phones, and cash.

A pre-trial investigation has been launched for smuggling and illegal handling of excise goods. The three suspects face up to eight years in prison. A Vilnius Regional Court judge ordered all three detained for three months pending trial.

The investigation is being overseen by the Vilnius District Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime and Corruption. Authorities continue active efforts to identify and apprehend all individuals involved in the smuggling network.

Police remind the public that suspected smuggling activity can be reported via the hotline +370 700 60777, available on weekdays from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM.