{"id":184871,"date":"2026-04-24T20:23:34","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T17:23:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/184871\/"},"modified":"2026-04-24T20:26:30","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T17:26:30","slug":"lithuanian-man-under-investigation-for-transporting-2500-packs-of-belarusian-cigarettes","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/184871\/","title":{"rendered":"Lithuanian man under investigation for carrying 2,500 packs of Belarusian cigarettes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"block-image block-image-normal\">\n\n  <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1128\" height=\"752\" src=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/kontrabanda_zapad_Litvy_sogg-2.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/kontrabanda_zapad_Litvy_sogg-2.jpg 1128w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/kontrabanda_zapad_Litvy_sogg-2-354x236.jpg 354w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/kontrabanda_zapad_Litvy_sogg-2-734x490.jpg 734w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/kontrabanda_zapad_Litvy_sogg-2-178x118.jpg 178w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/kontrabanda_zapad_Litvy_sogg-2-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1128px) 100vw, 1128px\" \/>\n  <figcaption>\n  \n       <div class=\"block-image__author\">\n                <span>(vsat.lrv.lt)<\/span>\n    <\/div>\n     <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>April 24, <em>Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> Lithuanian law enforcers arrested a man suspected of transporting smuggled cigarettes yesterday in the \u0160ilal\u0117 district of Lithuania, more than 200 kilometers from the Belarusian border, the Lithuanian State Border Guards Service reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A 48-year-old man with multiple prior convictions was detained while driving an Opel Meriva with Lithuanian license plates. During an inspection, officers found 2,500 packs of Belarus-made NZ Gold cigarettes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They also seized Marlboro Gold and Winston Blue cigarettes, brands no longer produced in Belarus since 2021 and 2024, respectively. The total value of the cargo was estimated at nearly \u20ac13,500.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The border agency said the cigarettes were found without excise stamps, yet the suspect may face up to four years in prison over the Belarusian tobacco products. Authorities have launched a pre-trial investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cigarette smuggling has been a source of significant tensions between Lithuania and Belarus since last fall. In late 2025, Vilnius declared a low-level emergency over incursions by smugglers&#8217; weather balloons that disrupted operations at the country\u2019s airports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cigarettes cost around \u20ac1 per pack in Belarus, making them significantly cheaper than legally sold cigarettes in Lithuania, where prices start at about \u20ac5. Smuggled NZ-brand cigarettes can be purchased in Vilnius for around \u20ac2 per pack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"insert-block\">\n\n    <div class=\"insert-block__img\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"354\" height=\"236\" src=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/dron-kontrabanda_sig_sogg_1128x752-354x236.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/dron-kontrabanda_sig_sogg_1128x752-354x236.jpg 354w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/dron-kontrabanda_sig_sogg_1128x752-734x490.jpg 734w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/dron-kontrabanda_sig_sogg_1128x752-178x118.jpg 178w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/dron-kontrabanda_sig_sogg_1128x752-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/dron-kontrabanda_sig_sogg_1128x752.jpg 1128w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 354px) 100vw, 354px\" \/>                        <label class=\"insert-block__tag--mobile\"> Economy<\/label>\n\n                            <label class=\"insert-block__tag--mobile\"> Society<\/label>\n\n                <\/div>\n    <div class=\"insert-block__text\">\n                    <label class=\"insert-block__tag\">Economy, Society<\/label>\n                <h3 class=\"insert-block__title\">Lithuania intercepts 12 cigarette-smuggling drones from Belarus since January<\/h3>\n        <div class=\"insert-block__descr\">April 17, Pozirk. Lithuanian border guards have intercepted 12 drones with contraband cigarettes from Belarus since the start of 2026, the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service reports. The most recent such incident occurred last night in Vilnius district, a few &#8230;<\/div>\n        <a class=\"insert-block__btn-block\" href=\"\/en\/news\/184082\">\n            <button class=\"btn\">\n                <div class='btn__text'>Read the article<\/div>\n            <\/button>\n        <\/a>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>April 24, Pozirk. Lithuanian law enforcers arrested a man suspected of transporting smuggled cigarettes yesterday in the \u0160ilal\u0117 district of Lithuania, more than 200 kilometers from the Belarusian border, the Lithuanian State Border Guards Service reports. A 48-year-old man with multiple prior convictions was detained while driving an Opel Meriva with Lithuanian license plates. During [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":184861,"template":"","rubric":[15],"class_list":["post-184871","articles","type-articles","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","rubric-society"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Lithuanian man under investigation for carrying 2,500 packs of Belarusian cigarettes | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"April 24, Pozirk. Lithuanian law enforcers arrested a man suspected of transporting smuggled cigarettes yesterday in the \u0160ilal\u0117 district of Lithuania,\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/184871\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Lithuanian man under investigation for carrying 2,500 packs of Belarusian cigarettes | Pozirk\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"April 24, Pozirk. 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