Lithuanian national among suspects detained in Spain tobacco factory crackdown

VILNIUS - A major international law enforcement operation in Spain has dismantled six illegal tobacco factories and led to the detention of dozens of suspects, including a Lithuanian national suspected of orchestrating the illicit production.

Lithuania's Customs Criminal Service said on Thursday that the operation had broken up two international criminal groups operating in Spain. A total of 50 people were detained, including citizens of Lithuania and Poland.

One of the detainees is a Lithuanian national known to law enforcement and suspected of being a key organiser of the illegal tobacco production network.

The Spanish Civil Guard carried out 23 searches across several provinces, where officers discovered more than 20 million cigarettes and 38.4 tonnes of shredded and leaf tobacco. The factories were capable of producing up to 7.8 million cigarettes a day.

The value of the seized tobacco products exceeded 10 million euros. Authorities also confiscated 18 vehicles, encrypted electronic devices, 170,000 euros in cash and firearms.

The operation involved the Lithuanian Customs Criminal Service, Europol, the European Anti-Fraud Office, Poland's Central Investigation Bureau and the Portuguese National Guard.

According to the Lithuanian Customs Criminal Service, the investigation confirms forecasts by customs analysts that as security on the European Union's external borders is tightened, criminal groups are actively expanding illegal tobacco factory networks within the European Union.