{"id":196916,"date":"2026-07-23T12:59:48","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T09:59:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/196916\/"},"modified":"2026-07-23T12:59:50","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T09:59:50","slug":"lithuania-seizes-e1-million-worth-of-smuggled-cigarettes-including-belarusian-brand","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/196916\/","title":{"rendered":"Lithuania seizes \u20ac1 million worth of smuggled cigarettes, including Belarusian brand"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

July 23, Pozirk.<\/em> <\/strong>The Lithuanian State Border Guard Service seized a large shipment of contraband cigarettes without excise stamps worth nearly \u20ac1 million, including the Belarusian-made NZ Gold brand, in the Kelm\u0117 district, the agency reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three days ago, officers from the criminal intelligence unit arrested three men from Kur\u0161\u0117nai, \u0160iauliai district, who were unloading cartons of cigarettes from a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van into a utility building. During an inspection of another van on the premises, law enforcers found more cartons of contraband tobacco products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Border guards noted that well-known international cigarette brands, as well as Belarusian cigarettes, are produced at clandestine factories, including those operating in Latvia. Several such facilities have previously been shut down by law enforcement agencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tensions between Belarus and Lithuania over cigarette-smuggling, especially by air, started rising last October, forcing Lithuanian authorities to close the border and suspend operations at Vilnius International Airport, located close to the Belarusian border, over incursion of smugglers\u2019 balloons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vilnius declared an \u201cextreme situation,\u201d a low-level emergency, on December 9 in response to what it called \u201ca hybrid attack from Belarus.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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