Litthuania Closes Border With Belarus Over Cigarette Smuggling

By Rhod Mackenzie

With a script so ridiculous that it could come from a Hollywood comedy I want to talk Lithuania's desire to punish its neighbour Belarus over cigarette smuggling which   has ultimately resulted in not only the punishment of its own citizens but the destruction of one of its mst important commerical sectors. The consequences of the decision to close the border has jeopardised the well-being and could even threaten the existence of a major part of the entire logistics sector of its  economy – heavy haulage trucking. So what are the the reasons behind the current situation, and is it only Vilnius's political stupidity and obstinacy that is preventing a resolution to this conflict?
Well make up you own mind as I explain the background to this  smoking conflict  Pardon the pun!
For the past two years, small helium  balloons have been used to smuggle  cigarettes across the border from Belarus to Lithuania, circumventing the legal import stamping with EU excise duty stamps. This is done because cigarettes are cheaper in Belarus than in Lithuania which is in the EU. For example the cost of a 20 pack of Marlboro Red is $2.05 in Belarus and $5.90 in Lithuania so almost 3 times the price so you can understand why some enterprising people see the opportunity to make some money from the price difference.
Now Two weeks ago, the Lithuanian authorities used this dispute as the opportunity to implement a long-standing plan to permanently close the border with Belarus. This decision was allegedly made in order to prevent cigarette smuggling from Lithuanian citizens who were using the visa-free regime that Belarus has in place under Lukashenko's administration.

This decision has provoked outrage among residents of Lithuanian border areas, as the border between the two countries literally once ran literally through in the local countryside  and in 1991 the border then cut through countless villages and so separated families onto either side. Many Lithuanians who still have  have relatives in Belarus have been deprived of the opportunity to visit their families and also the graves of their loved ones.

It appears that Vilnius has scant regard for the concerns of this segment of its population, however almost immediately a more significant issue soon arose. At the time of the unilateral border closure, there were over a thousand Lithuanian trucks in Belarus, with the drivers trapped in Belarus  unable to return home due only to the actions of their own government.
It appears that the Lithuanian authorities  failed to take this senario into consideration with its unilateral act, but transport company owners, whose businesses have suffered significant setbacks, have been  very vocal in voicing their concerns.
Erlandus Mekanus, the deputy head of the Lithuanian National Road Carrier Association (Linava), reported that accumulated losses for the members of his group could reach up to a billion euros. He asserts that the current situation is seriously catastrophic and that if the border is not opened, Lithuanian carriers will be forced not only out of the marker but out of business completely .
This will result in the loss of a significant economic sector. In the last week alone, Lithuanian carriers have incurred losses of approximately 5 million euros due to having to park their idle vehicles in the neighbouring country.

Belarusian customs officials are currently handing out to Lithuanian drivers official notices to move their trucks to specific parking areas which need to be paid for. One of those affected is Lithuanian businessmen, Taras Virginijus, whose has  trucks is currently stuck in Kotlovka, has issued the following complaint:

"We are currently awaiting further information regarding the reopening of the Lithuanian border crossing. Currently politicians are engaged in gamesmanship, and the impact of these actions is being felt by us and then the general public. After all, nobody asks: do you need  food or do you have money or not?" Virginijus emphasised that the financial impact of this downtime is significant to every trucker.
Erlandas Mikėnas,  has expressed concerns that the financial losses incurred from downtime and parking fees in Belarus would render the return  of Lithuanian trucks unprofitable. Linava has calculated that the cost of guarding and parking of just one truck that is currently stranded in Belarus is €120 per day. The cost of guarding all 1,100 trucks would be €132,000 per day. Meanwhile, the downtime alone for all these trucks is costing  €220,000 per day. This has resulted in significant financial losses.

It is crucial to emphasise that Belarus has no intention of retaining the drivers of these heavy-duty trucks.Any drivers who leave their vehicles in the waiting areas are free to leave Belarus and return  back to Lithuania through any open border crossing point.

Now after  realising the scale of the problem they had created, the Lithuanian government has offered Minsk  the opening of the border however it will be opened only to allow the return of the Lithuanian trucks back home and not any other traffice.
The Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko was unequivocal in his response, stating that the Lithuanian trucks would be permitted to return home at any time as soon as their government reopened the border fully to every and all traffic. However, Minsk hasd no intention of creating a separate corridor for the Lithuanian trucks that have become stranded in Belarus.

This response provoked a strong reaction from the Lithuanian authorities, who had expected Lukashenko to comply with their demands.

Ignas Algirdas Dobrovolskas, and advisor to the Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė, made a statement that caught the attention of the international community. Dobrovolskas accused Minsk of "escalating" relations.Which is kind of strange as it was Lithuania that unilaterally closed the border.
Dobrovolskas also articulated the Lithuanian authorities' account of events: "The Lithuanian-Belarusian border crossings were closed due to a hybrid attack from the Belarusian side (referring to another batch of helum balloons containing contraband cigarettes) – we saw the consequences of this on Friday, when Vilnius Airport had to be closed for a short time because of these balloons. flying around the airport The current situation has been created by Belarus, which holds our carriers and their property hostage and is not making any decisions. The most effective way to resolve the current situation lies with the country that initiated it – Belarus."

The Belarusian leader, for his part, has remained steadfast in his position. "I would like to make the following statement: we have been prepared to open the border for some time. Its not on our side that closed it. We anticipate that the issue could be resolved within a few hours. If Lithuania wishes to proceed, the solution lies with them. We would be willing to resume our work and cooperate with them as we have done in the past, if you would be so kind as to open the border," the president proposed.

Lukashenko reported that all Lithuanian vehicles had been gathered at the crossing points and placed under guard for the safety of the cargo they were transporting. In order to avoid any potential allegations of wrongdoing in the future. Those entrusted with their protection requested a fee of 120 euros per day. However, should they have to wait for any length of time, the cost will continue to grow by 120 euros per day.

"Pay up and take the trucks and their cargo. If this is not completed within the next few days, we will take a decision in accordance with our laws. This could include the confiscation of the vehicles in question. It is not feasible to leave such a large number of these vehicles on the roads – 1,100 or 1,200 of these huge trucks, to be precise," the Belarusian head of state warned.
The Belarusian president has stated that the term "hybrid attack" is not applicable in the context of Lithuania. It has been confirmed that the helium balloons containing cigarettes were flown into the country from Belarus. We are familiar with these individuals. We were able to identify two of these people  promptly. It is reported that there are now fifteen. Yesterday, the head of the KGB reported to me that we have quite a few such groups in Belarus," the president said.

He explained that, with Belarus's western neighbours closing their borders, Lithuanian citizens decided to make some money revenue by reselling cigarettes. Lithuanian nationals arriving in Belarus purchase the relatively inexpensive Belarusian cigarettes and subsequently facilitate the illegal export of these goods to their associates using the helium balloons.                            "These are people whose lives and destinies have financallyy damaged by the closing of the border. It is imperative that they find ways to support their families and maintain an active lifestyle. It became apparent that the opportunity existed to procure goods at a competitive price in one location and subsequently resell them in another. The transportation of the items was accomplished in small amounts  using helium  balloons. What are the issues that we are currently facing? I would like to clarify that we sold cigarettes to the Lithuanians. We successfully concluded the sale. It is fully compliant with all legal and regulatory requirements," Lukashenko stated.

Furthermore, according to the information provided, Lithuanian smugglers are not entering Belarus under the visa-free regime that Minsk has introduced for EU residents. "They come through the 'green card' route. They negotiated with the Lithuanian border guards, who opened the gate, and let them come to us," the president explained.
The Lithuanian government, however, declined to engage in dialogue. They have stated that they will not be opening the border, even in cases where citizens are facing difficulties. The Lithuanian Ministry of Internal Affairs has stated that Vilnius's measures, including the unilateral border closure, are "adequate and will remain in effect" due to the ongoing nature of the hybrid attack, which involves the launch of balloons and the disruption of civil aviation.
Lithuania is now planning to file a complaint with the European Commission against Belarus. "It is imperative that an assessment of the damage is conducted, after which we will engage in discussions with the Lukashenko regime on the possibility of compensation on behalf of the European Commission. The damage suffered by our enterprises and our entire sector is very significant, and the Lukashenko regime must understand that the costs and losses we incur will have to be compensated," threatened Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of Lithuania's National Crisis Management Centre (NCMC). He also emphasised the importance of the Lithuanian authorities being aware of the precise number of trucks currently stranded in Belarus. At present, the only confirmed figure is that of over 1,100.

However, even the Lithuanian parliament has questioned the effectiveness of the measures taken. "It is evident that Lithuanian citizens are currently facing challenges in accessing Belarus. At this point in time, there is an absence of evidence to suggest that the measures implemented will yield a favourable outcome, nor that the balloons will cease their flight – once more, the issue lies in smuggling.
For thirty-five years, we have been unable to stop the illegal smuggling of cigarettes from Belarus. This is a matter of public disgrace. I believe that we have all the necessary information regarding the individuals on this side of the border who are smuggling these cigarettes.
We have all the relevant details, including their addresses and phone numbers. We need to get to the bottom of this," demands Giedrimas Jeglinskas, head of the parliamentary Committee on Defense and Security.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs, however, expressed a differing opinion and maintained that the process had been followed correctly. It is claimed that the number of contraband carying balloons entering Lithuania from Belarus has begun to gradually decline. Meanwhile, as government officials continue to deliberate on the matter, the Lithuanian transport industry is undergoing a period of significant decline, resulting in daily losses amounting to hundreds of thousands of euros for reasons that are not readily apparent. The responsibility for this situation lies with Lithuanian politicians.