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Lithuania's top smuggling item in 2011 – Belarusian cigarettes 

In 2010, Lithuanian border guards intercepted by 6% more smuggled cigarettes than in 2010. The State Border Guard Service (VSAT) statistics reveals that the flows of tobacco smuggling from Belarus have grown, whereas, smuggling from Russia has declined.

In 2011, the officials intercepted about 2.2 million packets of contraband cigarettes, which is by 6% more compared on a year-on-year basis, writes LETA/ELTA.

Tobacco products are the most popular smuggling item as last year 87.4% of smuggling attempts prevented by the VSAT were related to cigarette contraband.

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• Lietuva in brief - 2012-01-19 

Last year, Lithuanian border guards intercepted 6 percent more smuggled cigarettes than they did in 2010, reports ELTA. The State Border Guard Service (VSAT) statistics reveals that the inflows of tobacco smuggling from Belarus have grown, whereas smuggling from Russia has declined. In 2011, officials intercepted about 2.2 million packets of contraband cigarettes, which is 6 percent more compared on a year-on-year basis. Tobacco products are the most popular smuggling item

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The Government intends to put Lithuania in the category of moderate drinkers States 

The Lithuanian Government approved the draft programme for the control of producers of alcohol and tobacco, reported today, 12 September BakuToday the press service of the Cabinet of Ministers.

The program is scheduled for 2012-2014. Its aim is to reduce the consumption of alcohol and tobacco in the country.

The Government discussed the principles according to which the State Audit Office, recommendations from experts on health of Lithuania and the European Union.

Agreed that a special effort to combat smuggling and illegal producers of alcohol and tobacco products and to limit the availability of alcohol and tobacco to minors.

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Market Report, "Cigarettes in Lithuania", published 

The trend of declining sales of duty-paid cigarettes that was first noticed in 2009 accelerated in 2010. As consumers felt unease about their financial situation as well as future prospects, a significant number quit smoking altogether. Of those who stuck to smoking, a large share switched to illicit cigarettes. The easy availability of smuggled goods made such switches easy, especially in the country's border regions.

Euromonitor International's Cigarettes in Lithuania report offers a comprehensive guide to the size and shape of the market at a national level. It provides the latest retail sales data 2006-2010, allowing you to identify the sectors driving growth. It identifies the leading companies, the leading brands and offers strategic analysis of key factors influencing the market

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Lithuania: Smugglers Caught With 70 Million Cigarettes  

European Union authorities say that they have arrested nine people in Lithuania for attempting to smuggle tens of millions of cigarettes to several countries.

Law enforcement from Poland, Germany, and Lithuania seized 70 million cigarettes in the sting operation, "preventing losses of 6 million euros (US$8.6 million) to the European taxpayer," the EU's Anti-Fraud Office said Monday.

The nine suspects were allegedly smuggling the contraband from Ukraine and Russia to other European countries. They are now being detained for three months and will await trial in Lithuania.

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9 smugglers arrested with 70 million illegal cigarrettes in LIthuania  

The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) on Monday announced the arrest of nine people in Lithuania for the illegal smuggling of cigarettes after an extensive investigation that resulted in the seizure of millions of cigarrettes.

The criminal investigation, which had been coordinating for over a year, involving law enforcement authorities in Lithuania, Poland and Germany, resulted in the seizure of almost 70 million cigarettes, preventing estimated losses of €6 million ($8.67 million) to the European taxpayer.

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NRT Smoking Cessation Aids in Lithuania 

This Euromonitor market report provides market trend and market growth analysis of the NRT Smoking Cessation Aids industry in Lithuania. With this market report, you’ll be able to explore in detail the changing shape and potential of the industry. You will now be able to plan and build strategy on real industry data and projections.

The NRT Smoking Cessation Aids in Lithuania market research report includes:

* Analysis of key supply-side and demand trends

* Detailed segmentation of international and local products

* Historic volumes and values, company and brand market shares

* Five year forecasts of market trends and market growth

* Production, imports by origin, exports by destination

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Bosnian detained for contraband of cigarettes in Belarus  

Minsk. A Bosnian has been detained for contraband of cigarettes in Belarus, Belta news agency reported.

A large amount of contraband cigarettes was found during a check of a truck driven by the Bosnian at Benyakoni customs checkpoint on the Belarusian-Lithuanian border.

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Cigarette-Smuggling Gangs Sap Lithuania Budget, Spark Crackdown 

Lithuania declared war on smuggling to boost revenue in the 2011 budget under review tomorrow after the deficit swelled to 9.2 percent of economic output during the global recession. The so-called grey economy has grown to 30 percent of gross domestic product as people look for bargains and gangs flood the country with untaxed tobacco, alcohol and fuel from Russia and Belarus.

"Everyone must realize that by smoking illegal cigarettes you not only harm your health as it says on the pack but you also harm your parents and your children," Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius said Nov. 9 in an interview with Ziniu Radijas. "You take away money from the school your children attend or you take away money from the pension your parents get."

Baltic neighbors Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia experienced the world's deepest recessions last year. All three border on Russia, while Latvia and Lithuania also share frontiers with Belarus, making them a gateway into the EU.

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The role of Baltic states in cigarette smuggling 

There are sold 14 billion cigarettes in Baltic states every year.

Additional 20 to 30 percent of cigarettes are sold in black market.

The most popular cigarettes in the black market of Baltic states are cheap, low class brands (for example 'Prima'), mainly produced in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.

According to unofficial data, in the domestic market Latvian smugglers make profits of around 6 to 7 million US dollars. Due to unpaid taxes, state budget loses around 10 million US dollars.

Profits Estonian smugglers gain from contraband cigarette trade should be approximately the same. In Lithuania in this kind of business smugglers are able to earn about 5-6 million US dollars.

It seems that contraband cigarette trade in local black market is business of small organized groups or solitary traffickers.

Large smuggling groups operate mostly in the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweeden, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, Norway and Austria.

According to unofficial data, every three months around 13 million pounds are brought into Lithuania which are earned selling contraband cigarettes in the UK black market.

In Lithuania there are 6 or 7 large contraband rings, but only part of these rings trade in UK black market. In total, around 30 Lithuanian organised groups smuggle cigarettes to Western Europe, Scandinavian and Northern countries.

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• Cigarette-Smuggling Gangs Sap Lithuania Budget, Spark Crackdown 

A man in a black wetsuit straps nine boxes to his body in the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, wades into the Nemunas River and swims 200 yards to Lithuania and the European Union.

He drops his cargo as officers close in and 4,500 packs of cigarettes sink to the bottom of the river, according to photographs from the state Border Guard Service. . . .

Lithuania plans to collect an additional 1.2 billion litai next year, or about 1 percent of GDP, by curbing illicit activity, according to the draft budget. The government has pledged to cut the deficit to the EU limit of 3 percent of GDP by 2012.

The government on Nov. 17 approved tougher penalties for smugglers, replacing fines with prison sentences of as much as eight years. Lithuania also plans to increase spending on customs enforcement by 15 percent next year . . .

The crackdown is fueling tensions. One smuggler was killed and two officers injured in a June shootout. . . .

“There’s no easy solution,” Rojaka said. “To succeed with the plan, the state will have to stitch up the borders and fight.”

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• Smuggled goods from Russia and Belarus enter Lithuanian via Latvia 

Lithuanian Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius admitted that a lot of illegal goods come to Lithuania from Russia and Belarus via Latvia, The Lithuanian Tribune reports.

"Large quantity of smuggled cigarettes are shipped into Lithuania not through Belarus-Lithuania or Kaliningrad-Lithuania border but rather via Latvian borders where the goods are illegally shipped from Belarus and Russia," Andrius Kubilius emphasized.

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Illegal Cigarette Factory Raided 

An illegal cigarette factory in Vilnius, capable of producing at least 1000 cigarettes a minute, has been raided and closed down in an operation mounted by Lithuanian Customs supported by OLAF. Six people were arrested at the factory, which was producing 3 brands of cigarettes for the illegal markets in the EU. As well as cigarette-making and packing machines, Lithuanian Customs seized large quantities of tobacco, paper and other materials used in the production of cigarettes.

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Illegal cigarette factory in Lithuania raided 

An illegal cigarette factory in Vilnius, capable of producing at least 1000 cigarettes a minute, has been raided and closed down in an operation mounted by Lithuanian Customs supported by OLAF.

Six people were arrested at the factory, which was producing 3 brands of cigarettes for the illegal markets in the EU. As well as cigarette-making and packing machines, Lithuanian Customs seized large quantities of tobacco, paper and other materials used in the production of cigarettes.

Mr Nicholas Ilett, acting Director General of OLAF, said that the number of illegal factories producing counterfeit cigarettes in the EU has risen quite dramatically over the last five years.

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Two charged over cigarette smuggling  

Customs officers at Dublin airport yesterday seized cigarettes valued at €12,800 during a search of baggage.

Customs officers discovered 32,000 "L & M" brand cigarettes, representing a potential exchequer loss of €10,500.

Two Lithuanian nationals with addresses in Kaunas were arrested during a Customs operation targeting cigarette smuggling from the Baltic region.

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