Court orders illegal cigarette trader to pay state nearly €267,000

Vilnius Regional Court has ruled in favour of the state, ordering a man identified as R. V. to pay nearly €267,000 after a civil case brought by Vilnius Regional Prosecutor’s Office, the General Prosecutor’s Office reported on Friday.

The sum corresponds to the value of confiscated assets. According to prosecutors, the man was convicted in 2021 for the illegal handling of excise goods, specifically cigarettes.

An investigation found that between 2013 and 2023, his total declared income amounted to €368,679, while his total expenses reached €623,713. The discrepancy of €266,683 led authorities to conclude that he could not have legally funded the construction of two residential houses in Vilnius district.

Under civil asset forfeiture laws, when property is hidden, spent, transferred, or cannot be confiscated for other reasons, the court may order the equivalent monetary value to be recovered. In this case, one of the houses was built on land gifted to R. V., complicating its confiscation. Additionally, illicit income was used to partially construct another house, which was later transferred to third parties.

The court approved the prosecutor’s request and ordered R. V. to pay €266,683 to the Lithuanian state. The decision may be appealed.