Trucks Busted Smuggling Fruits & Veggies to Russia with Fake License Plates | 15min

Lithuanian customs officials at the Medininkai border checkpoint have detained several trucks attempting to circumvent European Union sanctions against Russia by using vehicles with switched license plates, according to reports confirmed Monday.

The scheme involved trucks transporting fruits and vegetables to Russia. Drivers reportedly activated a mechanism that digitally altered the vehicles’ license plates from Russian to Lithuanian registration, effectively concealing their origin. The discovery was made during a routine customs inspection conducted by the Vilnius Territorial Customs Service, according to Lithuanian news outlet tv3.lt.

Authorities have not yet disclosed the name of the company suspected of orchestrating the operation, but reports indicate the firm had previously experienced logistical difficulties, with its trucks temporarily stranded in Belarus.

The incident comes as EU sanctions against Russia remain in effect following the invasion of Ukraine. The sanctions are designed to limit Russia’s access to key goods and technologies.

According to Lithuania’s Customs Department, official queueing data for the border with Belarus (entering Lithuania) is published on the Belarusian State Border Committee’s website. Data for the border with Belarus and Russia (exiting Lithuania) is available on the website of the Border Control Point Directorate.

The Medininkai checkpoint is a key crossing point on the Lithuanian-Belarusian border. Several other border crossings are currently experiencing disruptions, with some temporarily closed due to repairs or the state of emergency declared in the country, according to a map of border checkpoints published by the Border Control Point Directorate.