The court allowed the arrest of the detained border guards: among the suspects, surnames known to all

On Thursday, the court allowed the arrest of the head of the Druskininkai firebreak of the SBGS Varėna team, Ričardas Birvinskas, 47 years old from Druskininkai, the head of the Pre-Trial Investigation Division of the Varėna team, Kęstutis Šukis, a 43-year-old man de Lazdijai, intelligence agent of the SBGS Lazdijai team, current retiree from MIA, Druskininkai Rimantas Časas, 64 years old.

The three border guards are suspected of organizing smuggling and abusing the service, and Chas is suspected of helping them do so.

According to a representative of the Vilnius Regional Prosecutor’s Office, on Thursday the court allowed the detention of two people detained on Tuesday for a month, one of the detainees for ten days and another will spend seven days behind bars.

The prosecution also informs that it will not provide further information on the case without compromising the investigation.

Delphi According to sources, the four are suspected of having long organized the transport of smuggled cigarettes by truck through the Druskininkai border guard post at the Raigardas border checkpoint.

Belarusian cigarettes crossed the border into Lithuania, and from there through Poland to Western Europe and the Scandinavian countries.

The pre-trial investigation was launched after the SBGS Immunity Service had been collecting evidence of possible peer abuse for a long time.

According to available data, the suspects’ apartments and houses were arrested and searched on Tuesday. The SBGS itself informed the organizers of the smuggling between them on Wednesday. The court released the detainees on Thursday.

This arrest in Dzūkija sparked rumors that the change of political power and the redistribution of influence in the shadow business were beginning in the country.

Well-informed and system-aware sources Delphi argued that such arrest would likely be a sign that the group called “siloviki”, which had long been “harboring” the smugglers, was being pushed to the margins and that a new force was entering the arena that would simply take over. control Income controlled by special taxes and the resulting illegal business.

All of the detainees are long-time border guards. R. Birvinskas’ seniority at the SBGS – since 1994, others – also reaches a period of about twenty years. Last year, the Druskininkai border firewall under his leadership was chosen as the best border firewall in Lithuania.

According to available information, R. Birvinskas was on vacation during his detention, K. Šukys had a certificate of incapacity for work. K. Šukis, the head of the pre-trial investigation department, had all the cases under investigation on the team, most of them: smuggling and illegal transportation.

Another detainee, E. Garbenčius, has been repeatedly voted the best operative of the year, having won “Scout of the year” nominations, and has been repeatedly honored for outstanding service achievements. A few years ago, a large group of smugglers transporting cigarettes from Belarus to Lithuania by truck was liquidated thanks to their efforts.

On this occasion, the same illegal activity and its cover-up was accused by the official himself.

R. Chas is a former long-term officer of the Lazdijai subdivision of the Soviet KGB: from 1984 to 1991 he served as the main operational representative of the KGB.

This is publicly announced on the website (see here).

He left the Soviet repressive structure only on October 20, 1991, more than a year and a half after the restoration of Lithuania’s independence.

This fact did not prevent R. Chas from finding employment in operational intelligence already in the Lazdijai team of the State Border Guard Service.

He retired as a civil servant in 2011.

It is suspected that this person’s former acquaintances with the Belarusian generals were used to organize a smuggling ring in the Varėna border team.