{"id":184684,"date":"2026-04-23T18:15:39","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T15:15:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/184684\/"},"modified":"2026-04-23T18:15:41","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T15:15:41","slug":"lithuanian-man-arrested-after-picking-up-belarusian-cigarettes-at-border-fence","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/184684\/","title":{"rendered":"Lithuanian man arrested after picking up Belarusian cigarettes at border fence"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

April 23, Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> The Lithuanian State Border Guard Service said officers detained a Lithuanian man from the Lazdijai district near the Belarus border for carrying smuggled Belarusian cigarettes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last night, a video surveillance operator spotted bundles being thrown over the border fence from the Belarusian side in the Var\u0117na district. Officers cordoned off the area and detained a suspect who dropped the cargo and attempted to flee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Border guards found 1,240 packs of NZ Gold cigarettes with Belarusian excise stamps worth \u20ac6,671.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The suspect could face a fine exceeding \u20ac6,000. He was released with a summons to appear at a border guard post for an administrative hearing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 cigarette-smuggling balloons that disrupted operations at the country\u2019s airports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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