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Tag: Belarus

  • Belarus Smugglers Busted in Poland

    Belarus Smugglers Busted in Poland

    Polish law enforcement officials have disrupted the operations of Belarusian tobacco smugglers and seizing large amounts of cash and valuables, according to Europol. The criminals were initially under investigation for drug trafficking in the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom. Intelligence provided to the investigators by Europol revealed that the suspects were trafficking large quantities of tobacco products from Belarus to Poland. The proceeds of these criminal activities were laundered through cash conversion methods, property investments, the purchase of expensive luxury goods and the use of cryptocurrencies.

    Police detained 15 individuals and seized  considerable amounts of cash seized in zlotys, euros and U.S. dollars, along with gold bars, jewelry, and seven luxury vehicles. The total value of seizures amounted to €2 million ($2.14 million).

    Europol’s dissemination of intelligence packages has given investigators new insight into the criminal network. In addition to identifying tobacco smuggling as a source of income, investigators were now able to trace the illicit profits. Analysis of encrypted data intercepted from criminals’ phones also revealed locations used to hide large sums of cash. Europol provided an analyst and a specialist on-site to assist the 200 Polish law enforcement officers involved in the operation.

    The European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT) tackles threats posed by organized and serious international crime affecting the EU. EMPACT strengthens intelligence, strategic and operational cooperation between national authorities, EU institutions and bodies, and international partners. EMPACT runs in four-year cycles focusing on common EU crime priorities.

  • EU Sanctions Belarusian Tobacco Firms

    EU Sanctions Belarusian Tobacco Firms

    Photo: Tobacco Reporter archive

    The European Union has imposed sanctions against Neman Grodno Tobacco Factory and Inter Tobako in Belarus, reports Interfax. The measures were announced in The Official Journal of the European Union as part of a larger package of sanctions to punish Russia and its allies for the war in Ukraine.

    The package also targets Russian oil exports, financial institutions and vehicle manufacturers whose trucks and cars have been used in the “special military operation.”

    The Newman Grodno Tobacco Factory was already subject to sanctions following the controversial re-election of Alexander Lukashenko and the regime’s subsequent crackdown on protests challenging the outcome in 2020.

    Accounting for 70 percent of domestic cigarette sales, Neman effectively has a monopoly on the Belarusian tobacco market. The United States says it is one of several entities that receive preferential treatment from the regime in return for providing funds to Lukashenko.

    The Neman factory has also been fingered as a major source of illicit cigarettes in Europe. Around 10 percent of the 5.5 billion cigarettes sold illegally in the U.K. annually are believed to have originated in Belarus.

    With the average price of a pack of cigarettes in Belarus running the equivalent of about $0.80 compared to $4.30 in Latvia and much higher in other parts of the EU, there is plenty of room for profit in smuggling.