Belarusian cigarettes account for 82% of tobacco smuggling in Lithuania. In total, they make up 18,1% of all cigarettes smoked in the country, BNS reports, citing a study conducted by Nielsen (the so-called study of empty packs) in the third quarter of 2021.
In total, smuggled cigarettes occupied 22% of the Lithuanian market in the third quarter, which is the highest figure since 2014. The largest share of smuggling is in Svencenis, where it accounts for 43% of cigarettes smoked. Counterfeit cigarettes occupy 1% of the market. They mainly come to Lithuania from underground factories in Latvia.
Last year, Lithuanian security forces detained about 19 million packs of smuggled cigarettes.
Source: Reform.by
