Riga seizes 1.5 million contraband cigarettes; Lithuanian citizen arrested
Law enforcement officials in Latvia's capital discovered a massive illegal cigarette stockpile and tracking equipment in a warehouse. A Lithuanian national has been detained in connection with the incident and remanded in custody by court.
Riga seizes 1.5 million contraband cigarettes; Lithuanian citizen arrested
Law enforcement officials in Latvia's capital discovered more than one and a half million illegal cigarettes and special equipment for conducting contraband operations in a warehouse in the Teika district. Following this operation, a Lithuanian national was detained and remanded in custody by court, the Latvian Tax and Customs Police reported on Friday.
During inspections at the end of June, officers removed tobacco products from the warehouse, some bearing excise stamps and others without them. Specifically, "Winston" and "Minsk" cigarettes with Belarusian excise labels were confiscated, as well as products of the "Omega" brand bearing no tax marks whatsoever.
In addition to tobacco, a cargo truck with a trailer and two minibuses, all registered in Poland, were seized and forfeited. The premises also contained tracking devices, GPS signal jammers, Lithuanian registration plates, and various items used to conceal illegal shipments.
Criminal proceedings have been initiated concerning the unlawful storage, transportation, or sale of tobacco products on a large scale.
Source: LRT
Source: LRT