Lithuanian border guards seize cigarettes worth more than 223,000 euros

Border guards seized 40,558 packs of illegal cigarettes worth more than 223,000 euros in Alytus and detained two men, LRT reported, citing the State Border Guard Service (VSAT).

Officers found the cigarettes during an operation on Wednesday. At a garage complex, they caught a 60-year-old Alytus resident loading cigarettes from a garage into a Volvo S80. The garage contained 25,280 packs, some bearing Belarusian excise stamps and others with no excise markings. Officers also found cigarettes, cash and other items relevant to the investigation in the car.

Later that day, officers detained a 41-year-old Alytus resident suspected of being an accomplice. He owns the garage. Searches of four other garages and residential and auxiliary premises in Alytus uncovered more illegal cigarettes, cash and evidence.

In total, officers seized 40,558 packs bearing Belarusian or Russian excise stamps or no excise markings, as well as 10,160 euros in cash. The cigarette value, including taxes due in Lithuania, exceeds 223,000 euros. The Volvo, cigarettes and cash are being held by the VSAT Pagėgiai Border Guard Unit.

A pre-trial investigation has been opened into the illegal possession of excise goods. The law provides for a fine or up to eight years in prison when the value of the goods exceeds 900 MGL.