Belarusian border guards and customs officers have thwarted an attempt to illegally import cigarettes worth Br636 million into the EU.

31 October, Vitebsk /BELTA/. Belarusian border guards and customs officers have thwarted an attempt to illegally import cigarettes worth over Br630 million into the EU, Denis Glebko, assistant head of the Polotsk Border Guard Detachment, told a BELTA correspondent. At the "Urbany" international checkpoint on the Belarusian-Latvian border, servicemen of the Polotsk Border Guard Detachment, together with a customs inspector, discovered a false ceiling and floor in the refrigerated compartment of a "DAF" truck. In the hidden compartment, 66.9 thousand packs of "LM" cigarettes with Russian excise stamps, concealed from customs clearance, were found. The estimated value of the cigarettes was Br636 million 215 thousand. The truck was driven by a citizen of Belarus. An investigation is underway. As a rule, in similar cases, by court decision, in addition to the smuggled goods, the means used to transport them are also confiscated. The estimated value of the semi-trailer with the hidden compartment is Br100 million. -0-