Lithuania Destroys Record Amount of Illicit Tobacco

Lithuania’s Customs Department said it destroyed a record volume of seized goods in 2025, including large quantities of illicit tobacco and alcohol as well as narcotic and psychotropic substances. Customs officials destroyed more than 150 million cigarettes, nearly 40,000 kg of tobacco, and about 1,600 liters of alcoholic beverages, along with 755 kg of narcotic and psychotropic substances, including 498 kg of heroin, underscoring an intensified crackdown on threats to public health and market integrity.

In addition to drugs and excisable goods, customs authorities destroyed nearly 113,000 items infringing intellectual property rights, such as counterfeit clothing and footwear. Officials said the scale of the destruction reflects sustained enforcement efforts aimed at reducing health and safety risks while protecting fair competition. Separately, Lithuanian Customs sold non-EU goods that had not been cleared for free circulation, raising a total of €973,000 through 33 tenders and 132 electronic auctions, with proceeds split between auctions, tenders, and smaller trust transfers.