Employee of Lithuania's Optogama secretly sold lasers to Russian institutes

  • 2025-02-03
  • BNS/TBT Staff

VILNIUS - An employee of Optogama, one of Lithuania's largest laser manufacturers, secretly sold lasers to Russian defense industry institutes, LRT Radio reported on Monday.

This was confirmed to the public broadcaster by Optogama CEO Tadas Lipinskas.

The company has suspended its membership in the Lithuanian Laser Association, an investigation is underway, and one person has been detained.

"Optogama is aware of the ongoing pre-trial investigation by the Financial Crimes Investigation Service. We know that one of the company's employees engaged in illegal actions, which may have led to some of the components produced by the company being transferred to sanctioned entities," Lipinskas told the radio station in a comment.

The CEO added that the company was unaware of the employee's actions, making the situation unexpected. The employee has been fired, an internal investigation is underway, and the company is cooperating with law enforcement.

Gediminas Raciukaitis, president of the Lithuanian Laser Association, said that the case would affect the company's reputation.

"Each company has its own procedures. Salespeople are responsible for their plans. (Optogama's) reputation is the most important right now. If someone bypasses the company to sell, whether they sold directly or through another Lithuanian company, it's hard to say," he told LRT Radio.

A few weeks ago, the State Security Department announced suspicions that a Russian citizen with a temporary residence permit in Lithuania had organized the supply of high-tech equipment to Russian defense and security industry research institutions, scientific institutions, and related entities.

According to the intelligence agency, 10 individuals have been named as suspects in the investigation, which involved actions in Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.

Vilnius-based Optogama manufactures laser sources, optical systems, and laser accessories. According to the Sodra database, the company employs 30 people.

Data from the Center of Registers shows that one of Optogama's founders and a former shareholder is Belarusian citizen Nikolai Kuleshov.

Optogama's lasers were previously widely sold in Russia. LLS, a St. Petersburg-based company, claims to be Optogama's representative in Russia.