Seizures of smuggled cigarettes

Illegal cigarettes comprise the largest share of the seized smuggled goods. Over 160 million pieces of them, estimated at EUR 19 million euro, were confiscated. This is three times more than during the same period of the previous year: 60 million pieces of cigarettes worth over EUR 6 million euro were detained at that time, Lithuanian Customs report. The data of the State Tax Inspectorate also confirms the reduction of the illegal tobacco market share in Lithuania: in the first half of 2015, cigarette sales in the legal market increased by 7%. Unlike the last few years, when the largest quantities of tobacco products were detained on the Lithuanian – Belarusian border, the Lithuanian customs officers increasingly often detain this year illegal Belarus tobacco products brought from Latvia. According to the Deputy Director General of the Customs Department Vygantas Paigozinas, such change of smuggling routes took place upon strengthening the control on the European Union external border.

http://www.baltic-course.com/eng/transport/?doc=108948