Car seized in Tauragė containing 20,000 packets of Belarusian cigarettes
Tauragė police confiscated contraband cigarettes worth approximately 100,000 euros on Thursday on the Kryžkalnis–Tauragė road.
Contraband cigarettes in car – investigators suspect balloon use
Tv3.lt reports that Tauragė police officers stopped a Toyota Avensis Verso vehicle for inspection on Thursday at approximately 11.10 on the Kryžkalnis–Tauragė road. It was driven by a man born in 1994.
Officers' attention was drawn to large boxes stacked in the cabin and boot. During inspection, it was established that the vehicle contained 40 boxes of contraband cigarettes – a total of 20,000 packets marked with Belarusian excise stamps. According to preliminary police data, their value is approximately 100,000 euros.
Investigators are considering the possibility that the cargo was brought into Lithuania with the help of meteorological weather balloons. This version is reinforced by the condition of the boxes: they were tied in pairs, carefully wrapped in film and prepared for attachment to balloons.
A pre-trial investigation has been initiated into unlawful handling of excise-taxed goods. The vehicle used to transport the cigarettes has been confiscated.
According to BNS, last year contraband balloons disrupted more than 300 flights at Vilnius airport, affected 47,000 passengers and resulted in almost 60 hours of airport closures. Lithuanian leaders view such incursions as a hybrid attack by the Minsk regime.
Source: Google News LT — Crime (lt)