Illegal cigarette factory in Grobina had only begun operations

An illegal cigarette factory in the Grobina area of South Kurzeme Municipality had been operating for about a month, producing up to 1.5 million cigarettes a day, LSM reports. Police detained 18 people, including 14 Belarusian citizens, and seized 60 tonnes of tobacco and 2.4 million cigarettes.

The factory was set up in a former fur farm in the village of Dubeni. Most of the workers, who were mainly Belarusian citizens, lived and worked in isolation at the site.

Local residents had only suspected that a factory was being opened in the area. They told LSM that vehicle traffic and noise had not raised suspicions because several companies operate on the same territory.

Police said the facility had substantial equipment for manufacturing and packaging cigarettes, as well as machinery for shredding and drying tobacco leaves.

Andrejs Grisins, head of the State Police Tax and Customs Police, said the operators had minimised logistics to avoid attracting attention from local residents. The workers were kept inside the premises, where everything necessary for their daily lives had been arranged.

Police conducted searches at 11 locations and detained 18 people. Fourteen of them are Belarusian citizens who were most likely recruited in Belarus.

Police estimate that the illegal operation had only just begun to gain momentum, as it had been active for about a month or slightly longer. The facility was designed for significantly higher production volumes than 1.5 million cigarettes a day.

Authorities estimate that the operation caused organised crime losses amounting to several million euros. They also said the seized equipment could potentially be sold after the investigation, with the proceeds transferred to the state budget.

Illegal cigarette production is a serious crime punishable by up to five years in prison, according to the State Police.