Customs operation checks more than 400 vehicles

Lithuania-led international operation Baltica II checked more than 400 vehicles as part of efforts to combat smuggling and organised crime, the Customs Department said Monday, according to LRT.

Customs officers from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway took part, working with Europol and the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex. Fourteen officers worked at an international coordination centre in Vilnius, while about 20 others carried out joint checks at ports and border crossings in different countries.

Some officers were deployed to ports and border crossings abroad, where they inspected vehicles and cargo alongside local customs officials. At the coordination centre, based at the Customs Training Centre in Vilnius, officers analysed information about suspicious cargo, vehicles and routes, checked possible links and coordinated inspections.

The department said the joint work helped officials compare information from different countries more quickly and share relevant details with teams conducting checks. Europol provided a secure channel for exchanging information and helped cross-check and analyse it. Frontex also supported cooperation among law enforcement agencies.

The operation also aimed to deter smuggling, the department said. Increased checks at Baltic Sea ports and visible cooperation between customs services were intended to signal that international transport routes are monitored. Information gathered during the operation could also help customs officers focus future checks on higher-risk cargo and vehicles while reducing unnecessary inspections of legitimate businesses.

Baltica II was conducted under EMPACT, the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats, which brings together European law enforcement agencies for joint action against organised crime. The operation was part of EMPACT’s 2026–2027 action to combat excise and customs fraud in the Baltic Sea region.