{"id":121759,"date":"2024-09-06T19:06:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-06T09:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.railfreight.com\/?p=55876"},"modified":"2024-09-06T19:06:00","modified_gmt":"2024-09-06T09:06:00","slug":"poland-and-lithuania-fight-belarusian-smuggling-state-owned-enterprises-may-also-be-involved","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=121759","title":{"rendered":"Poland and Lithuania fight Belarusian smuggling: \u2018State-owned enterprises may also be involved\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Poland and Lithuania are fighting cigarette smuggling on freight trains coming from their neighbour Belarus. The former seems to encounter a growing number of attempts at smuggling. On the other hand, Lithuania seems to be having some success countering the “complex” smuggling scheme, to which “state-owned enterprises may also contribute.”<\/strong>
\n<\/span>Rail operators in Poland and Lithuania are often the victims of unexpected freight on their trains. Customs agencies regularly find Belarusian cigarettes hidden in cross-border traffic. As both countries are trying to combat smuggling, there are some indications that cigarettes are heading to Poland more often when compared to Lithuania.<\/p>\n

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Belarusian cigarette smuggling on freight trains:<\/strong><\/p>\n

– Poland sees a 19 per cent increase in cigarette seizing<\/p>\n

– Lithuania has success with technology in customs checks<\/p>\n

– The complexity of smuggling operations suggest that state-owned enterprises may be involved<\/p>\n

– Rail workers also participate in the scheme<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Poland seizes more cigarettes<\/h2>\n

Answering questions from RailFreight.com, the Polish finance ministry explains that there has been an upward trend in cigarette smuggling. Trade in goods was not suspended until 2021, the ministry says, but the implementation of sanctions and closures of border crossings in 2022 led to a significant drop in freight traffic.<\/p>\n

\u201cDespite a general downward trend at border crossings with Belarus, in 2023 we recorded a 19 per cent increase in the number of seized cigarettes compared to the previous year.\u201d The closure of a number of road border crossings has led smugglers to choose freight trains more often as a way to get their contraband across the border, the ministry says.<\/p>\n

The number indicates that Polish routes are growing in popularity among Belarusian smugglers, but the Polish ministry did not provide enough information to confidently draw such a conclusion.<\/p>\n

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A batch of seized Belarusian cigarettes. Image: \u00a9 Customs of the Republic of Lithuania.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lithuanian success<\/h2>\n

On the contrary, Lithuania seems to be having some success in curbing smugglers\u2019 activities. It is opening more pre-trial investigations into smuggling, and the total value of smuggled cigarettes seems to be on the decline. In both 2022 and 2023, 19 of such investigations were launched. That number has already been reached this year while we are only heading into September, say Lithuanian customs.<\/p>\n

The investigations \u201chave led to the seizure of 1,4 million euros worth of cigarette smuggling in 2023, 3,1 million euros in 2022 and 3 million euros in 2021.\u201d Between January and August 2024, cigarette smuggling worth 769,000 euros was intercepted.<\/p>\n

Lithuania\u2019s secret to fighting rail smuggling may be in border inspection technologies. \u201cRecently, with the closure of some railway stations and the introduction of X-ray monitoring of freight trains at the remaining station in Kena, the overall volume of smuggling by rail has decreased”, the customs agency explains.<\/p>\n

“Although the number of attempted entries remained almost unchanged, the number of smuggling consignments of 15-20 boxes became much smaller.”<\/p>\n

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Customs workers uncovering hidden goods. Image: \u00a9 Customs of the Republic of Lithuania.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

State-involvement?<\/h2>\n

The Lithuanian customs agency points out that the smugglers\u2019 network seems to be complex, suggesting that operations are more than ‘just’ a criminal network: \u201cThe complexity and scale of the smuggling methods indicate that neighbouring state-owned enterprises may also contribute to a greater or lesser extent.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSmugglers have several chains, varying in hierarchy and level of organisation, from common transporters to suppliers. From the top of the ranks, to transporters to receivers to distributors of shadow products.\u201d The customs agency adds that, \u201cmore often than not, individual [rail] company employees contribute.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, Belarusian smugglers seem to have a catch-all attitude towards the trains to be used for their business, but the type of freight matters: \u201cAll types of rail transport are used to transport consignments of illicit cigarettes, whether open or closed wagons, containers, tanks. Smuggling is usually concealed in loose and hard-to-scrutinise loads or in special hiding places, such as in the floor, behind double walls at the back or side of the carriage. The most common cover cargoes for smuggling illicit cigarette consignments are building materials such as crushed stone and cement or foodstuffs such as oil and powdered milk”, the Lithuanian customs agency explains.<\/p>\n