Man wanted for six years arrested at airport on drugs charges
Border guards at Vilnius airport detained a 36-year-old Lithuanian sent back by Britain. A search for the man had been underway since autumn 2020 on suspicion of illegal drug trafficking. On the same day, a Moldovan wanted by Interpol was detained at the border with Belarus.
Man wanted for six years arrested at airport on drugs charges
On Thursday, a 36-year-old Lithuanian citizen was detained at Vilnius airport after being returned by the United Kingdom. The Vilnius police had been searching for the man since November 2020 on suspicion of illegal drug trafficking.
The incident occurred on Thursday afternoon when a plane arriving from London landed in the capital. Officials from the State Border Guard Service's Vilnius border unit checked passengers' travel documents and identified the wanted person among them. It was established that British authorities had deported this citizen, and Lithuanian law enforcement had been seeking him in connection with a drugs case for almost six years.
Border guards detained the man, informed the institution that had initiated the search, and shortly afterwards handed him over to an arriving police unit. This was reported by the State Border Guard Service.
On the same day, another wanted person was detained at the border with Belarus. Officials from the State Border Guard Service's Varėna border unit at the Tribonys checkpoint inspected a Mercedes-Benz 316CDI registered in Moldova. Among the passengers was a 52-year-old Moldovan citizen wanted by Interpol for arrest. Border guards detained him and handed him over to Šalčininkų district police.
In the first half of this year, State Border Guard Service officials detained 247 persons wanted by Lithuanian or foreign law enforcement agencies. The majority of them – 229 – were Lithuanian citizens. In 2025, 803 wanted persons were detained, and in 2024, 767.
Source: LRT