Customs officers seize EUR 2.6mn worth of illegal cigarettes on Polish border

Customs officers and border guards last week seized a record consignment of illegal cigarettes worth EUR 2.6 million at the border with Poland, the Customs Criminal Service said Wednesday.

More than half a million of packs of contraband cigarettes was intercepted on 11 October, according to a press release from the authority. They were found in a truck driven by a Belarusian national in one of the petrol stations near the border.

The man claimed he was transporting pieces of furniture to Western Europe. The check found no furniture and two rear pallets loaded with biscuits.

"Officers discovered a total of 572,000 packs of NZ Gold, Minsk, Queen Superslims, Winston and Camel cigarettes made in Belarus. The total value of these products, including the taxes, is EUR 2.6 million," the Customs Criminal Service said.

Kaunas prosecutors launched a pre-trial investigation. The driver was detained for three months.