VILNIUS - Frontier guardsof the State Border Guard Service of northern Lithuanian city Siauliai detained a drug courier in the Joniskisdistrict with the help of Latvian colleagues, who was carrying 3 kilos ofamphetamine in a hiding within his car.
The State Border Guard Service said this is the biggestamount of amphetamine detained by the border guards.
Border guard officers were informed of a possible attempt to transport a hefty amountof contraband drug cargo out of Lithuania.
A border guard crew was sent to the Kalviai - Meitene border check-pointterritory immediately, with a State Border Guard Service squad also preparedfor a detaining operation. Latvian border guards with a drug-sniffing dogs aswell as customs officers were also employed in the operation.
A suspicious BMW 525 automobile was stopped at the Joniskis pike upon enteringLatvian territory. The driver, 45-year-old Latvian citizen, immediately pulledover, as requested by uniformed border guard officers and presented hisdocuments.
A State Border Guard Service squad as well as their Latvian colleagues conducteda detailed search in the vehicle. The detection dog revealed with his behaviorthe possibility of suspicious cargo behind the front bumper of the car. Afactory made cavity was found behind a car part designed for attaching halogenlights. Officers found three stiff, foil and duct taped wrapped packages, of atotal weight of approximately three kilos.
White powder was found inside the packages, which, according to preliminarydata was identified as amphetamine. The estimated price of the carried amountis 120,000 litas (EUR 348,000).
The drugs where packed inside plastic bags and covered in a layer of coffee, soas to mislead the detection dog.
When sold in small doses in the black market, amphetamine is mixed with variousother substances: pain-killers, caffeine, soda powder. Drug dealers can thenincrease the weight of a dose, reducing the amount of pure amphetamine.
A pre-trial investigation over trafficking of illegal drugs was launched in theSiauliai unitof the State Border Guard Service. The Latvian citizen has been detained for atwo day period.
Officers of the Siauliaiunit will address the court Friday asking to keep the man in custody for alonger period.
This is the second Latvian citizen detained this week in Lithuania fortrafficking drugs.
A Latvian citizen was busted Wednesday for possession of almost 2 kilos ofamphetamines in his automobile in Marijampole, southwestern Lithuania.
He was put into custody together with two Marijampole locals.
A pretrial investigation is in the works in the Marijampole police departmentover illegal possession of a very large amount of narcotic or psychotropicsubstances. According to legislation, violators face 10 to 15 years in prison.
