{"id":196619,"date":"2026-07-21T17:52:32","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T14:52:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/196619\/"},"modified":"2026-07-21T17:52:34","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T14:52:34","slug":"lithuanian-border-guards-arrest-two-men-carrying-nearly-6000-belarusian-smuggled-cigarettes","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/196619\/","title":{"rendered":"Lithuanian border guards arrest two men carrying nearly 6,000 Belarusian-smuggled cigarettes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

July 21, Pozirk.<\/em> <\/strong>Lithuanian border guards have arrested two residents of Vilnius who were transporting 5,999 packs of Belarusian-made cigarettes smuggled into Lithuania by air, the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the agency, a Volkswagen Crafter containing the contraband was stopped on the morning of July 19 in the Druskininkai municipality not far from the Belarusian border. Inside the van were four packages containing boxes of cigarettes made by Hrodna Tobacco Factory Nyoman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the packages had remnants of a balloon attached to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The boxes contained Minsk 5 Superslims, NZ Gold and Queen Menthol cigarettes bearing Belarusian excise stamps. The value of the shipment was estimated at more than \u20ac32,700.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lithuanian authorities have launched an investigation. The detainees, men 30 and 45 years of age, may face up to six years in prison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tensions between Belarus and Lithuania over cigarette-smuggling 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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