Lithuanian court begins trial of organised crime group accused of drug trafficking in Ireland

A Lithuanian court has begun examining the case of an organised criminal group accused of large-scale drug trafficking in Ireland and the UK, human trafficking, and the exploitation of vulnerable individuals over nearly a decade, LRT reports.

The Šiauliai Regional Court launched proceedings on Tuesday against 33 defendants—one of whom has since died—charged with systematically distributing narcotics in Ireland and Northern Ireland, as well as human trafficking, illicit enrichment, money laundering, document forgery, and involving a minor in criminal activity. Most of the alleged offences took place in Ireland.

The trial was adjourned until October after one defendant claimed they had not received the indictment and were unaware of the charges. The court spent much of the session addressing procedural requests, including a motion—later rejected—to recuse the presiding judge over alleged bias. Prosecutors dismissed the claim as unfounded, and the judicial panel ruled there was no objective evidence of partiality.

Eight civil claims totalling over €80,000 in non-material damages have been filed by victims. One participant urged the court to dismiss all claims, calling them an attempt at “unjust enrichment.” The case involves 166 witnesses and 20 victims, some residing abroad, with hearings scheduled to continue until May 2027.

Prosecutors allege the group, active for nearly 10 years, targeted socially vulnerable individuals—including those without permanent housing, facing extreme poverty, addiction, or health issues—recruiting them from Lithuania to Ireland. Over 100 people were trafficked and forced into modern slavery, coerced into street-level drug distribution under threats, violence, and forced substance use. Their identity documents were confiscated, and they were subjected to psychological and physical abuse.

Investigators claim the group laundered at least €861,000 from drug sales in Ireland and Northern Ireland, spending nearly €45,000 on jewellery. The indictment spans five volumes (over 1,000 pages), while the full case file exceeds 300 volumes. Currently, seven of the 32 defendants are serving sentences for other crimes; others face restrictive measures such as document confiscation, intensive supervision, travel bans, or asset freezes.