{"id":197642,"date":"2026-07-28T18:36:55","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T15:36:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/197642\/"},"modified":"2026-07-28T18:36:58","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T15:36:58","slug":"lithuania-intercepts-raft-with-smuggled-cigarettes-from-belarus-worth-over-e11000","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/197642\/","title":{"rendered":"Lithuania intercepts raft with smuggled cigarettes from Belarus worth over \u20ac11,000"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n (State Border Guard Service)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

July 28, Pozirk.<\/em> <\/strong>Lithuanian border guards have seized a raft carrying contraband Belarusian cigarettes from the Neris River, carrying 2,090 packs of NZ Gold cigarettes with Belarusian excise stamps in the \u0160ven\u010dionys district, the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The smuggled goods worth \u20ac11,411 were wrapped in black plastic film and came from the Belarusian direction, it noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lithuanian authorities launched a pre-trial investigation. The offense is punishable by a fine or a prison term for up to four years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The State Border Guard Service noted that a similar case was recorded two months ago, as cigarette smuggling from Belarus by water remains far less common than smuggling by drones or weather balloons.<\/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 smugglers\u2019 weather 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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