Smuggling bust in Kretinga district uncovers cigarettes worth a quarter of a million euros

Lithuania’s State Border Guard Service (VSAT) has detained a 70-year-old man from Skuodas district in Kretinga after discovering a haul of smuggled cigarettes worth around €250,000, the agency reported.

The man was apprehended on Wednesday evening in Kretinga district by officers from the Pakrantė Border Protection Unit’s Criminal Intelligence Division. He had concealed the illegal cargo in a warehouse.

According to VSAT, the seizure included 44,770 packs of untaxed cigarettes—brands such as Marlboro Touch, Marlboro Gold, Marlboro Original Gold, Winston Blue, NZ Gold, and Minsk Capital QS—as well as 1,480 packs of Minsk Capital QS bearing Belarusian excise stamps.

The total value of the 46,250 packs of smuggled cigarettes, including all applicable taxes in Lithuania, exceeds €240,000.

VSAT has launched a pre-trial investigation into the illegal handling of excise goods. Under Lithuanian law, such offences can carry a fine or imprisonment of up to eight years.

The suspect was initially placed in custody but released the following day after questioning. He has been ordered to sign a written pledge not to leave the country. The man is known to law enforcement in Lithuania and abroad, with a history of convictions for various offences. In 2024, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling. He is currently listed in the probation registry.