Lithuania’s ruling Social Democratic Party has called on police and border guards to act more quickly to end cigarette smuggling that is disrupting air traffic, saying that the patience of both the public and politicians is running out.
Party chairman Mindaugas Sinkevičius said the government wants to be sure that the investigation is proceeding smoothly and that the results will be visible soon, not “sometime.”
Border Guard Chief Rustamas Liubajevas said that in the past 48 hours, border guards have intercepted nine weather balloons carrying more than 13,000 packs of cigarettes across the border from Belarus. Liubajevas said smugglers are currently launching balloons not only from Belarus but also from the Russian enclave of Königsberg. He admitted that only about a fifth of the contraband sent to Lithuania by air is intercepted. This year, the authorities have managed to intercept almost 1.5 million packs of cigarettes. In recent months, smugglers’ weather balloons have increasingly forced the closure of Vilnius airport.
Sinkevičius emphasized that officials want confirmation of intensive work and that a result will be achieved soon. The politician added that neither politicians nor the public have infinite patience.
Police Chief Arūnas Paulauskas called for patience and informed that
the newly created investigation group is comparing lists of suspects and identifying individuals.
Most of the suspects are border residents. Searches were carried out last week, and several smugglers were detained. Currently, pre-trial investigations are underway in 26 cases involving 66 suspects.
Palauskas said there was an increase in the number of “SIM card mules” – people who register thousands of SIM cards in their own names, which are then used in criminal activities. He added that the organizers of the smuggling are adept at hiding their tracks, and some low-level smugglers have been punished almost 200 times.
Lithuanian Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovič also asked for more time, noting that uncovering smuggling networks is a long process.
Liubajevas said that Belarusian authorities often turn a blind eye to the activities of smugglers, or even help organize them. So far, Lithuanian efforts to put pressure on Minsk have not borne fruit. After Lithuania closed the border with Belarus, a large number of Lithuanian trucks were stuck there and were not allowed to leave the neighboring country even after the border was opened, but the flow of smuggled balloons has resumed with renewed vigor.
Opposition MPs have criticised the government’s work, calling it chaotic.
Former interior minister Agne Bilotaitė said the government lacked decisiveness, coordination and leadership. Kondratovič, in turn, said there was no need to re-close the border – authorities now have a wide range of tools to reduce criminal activity.
Meanwhile, the flow of contraband balloons has caused losses of almost 800,000 euros at Vilnius Airport.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has said that the activities of smugglers cannot be tolerated and said Lithuania is working closely with allies to combat it.
Read the whole article in English here: https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/2757101/patience-is-not-endless-lithuanian-leaders-press-for-faster-results-against-smugglers
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