Lithuania considers new anti-corruption agency to protect state and EU budgets

Lithuania’s interior minister has proposed establishing a new specialised agency to combat financial crimes targeting state and EU funds, state broadcaster LRT reported Monday.

Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovičius announced plans for a “professional statutory service” that would consolidate existing anti-corruption units, including the Financial Crime Investigation Service, the Criminal Police’s Economic Crime Division, and Customs’ Criminal Service.

The proposal follows a recent cigarette smuggling investigation involving meteorological balloons, which led to 27 arrests—including 10 Vilnius police officers and three State Border Guard Service personnel. A municipal employee from Šalčininkai district is also under suspicion for abuse of office.

Kondratovičius emphasised the need to “determine whether responses to corruption reports were adequate” and assess preventive measures in law enforcement. “Insufficient attention to corruption within institutions not only damages public trust but creates systemic risks,” he stated.

The minister also called for stricter oversight, noting recent penalties for smuggling offences, and proposed a unified national platform to integrate 8,000 municipal surveillance cameras for real-time crime monitoring.

Last week, police unions criticised the government for failing to strengthen anti-corruption safeguards for border personnel, LRT reported.