Customs officers seize van carrying 25,000 cigarette packs

Customs criminal officers seized a van carrying about 25,000 packs of illegal cigarettes near Maišiagala, LRT reported.

The vehicle was stopped last Friday on the A2 Vilnius Panevėžys highway after officers from the Customs Criminal Service noticed a suspicious Renault Trafic travelling towards Vilnius. They blocked the road with a service vehicle near Maišiagala.

The driver abandoned the van and tried to escape into a nearby forest but was caught and detained.

Officers found Marlboro Gold, Marlboro Silver, Marlboro Red and Winston Blue cigarettes in the vehicle. The shipment was valued at more than 140,000 euros, including taxes. None of the cigarettes had tax stamps, and investigators suspect the tobacco products may have been counterfeit.

The shipment, vehicle and driver were detained. The driver was later released under precautionary measures, including a written commitment not to leave and the seizure of documents.

A pre-trial investigation has been launched into the unlawful handling of excise-taxed goods.