Riga, April 8 (LETA) - The State Border Guard has handed over to the prosecutor's office for prosecution a criminal case against 25 Ukrainian citizens who were involved in the production of illegal cigarettes in Ludza in an organized group, LETA was informed by the State Border Guard.

In December 2024, the criminal investigation services of the State Police and the State Border Guard detained a total of 32 persons in an ambitious joint operation in Ludza and Riga and discovered an illegal cigarette production facility. Criminal proceedings were carried out simultaneously in several locations. The State Police carried out 26 searches in Riga, identifying warehouses with finished products and detained seven persons - six Latvian nationals and one Russian national.

The State Border Guard carried out eight searches in Ludza, Rezekne and Daugavpils, and 25 Ukrainians were detained at the Ludza factory, where they were engaged in the production of illegal cigarettes, passing them off as Marlboro, Prince, Winston and LM cigarettes.

All detainees were remanded in custody.

On March 24, the State Border Guard completed the investigation in the criminal proceedings against 25 Ukrainian citizens and sent it for prosecution to the Dienvidlatgale Prosecutor's Office.

The Latgale Regional Police Directorate will carry out the pre-trial investigation in the criminal proceedings against the remaining members of the organized group.

In the large-scale case of illegal tobacco production, property worth EUR 13 million was seized and a fleet of refurbished retro-luxury cars was confiscated.

Last week, the State Police, in cooperation with the State Border Guard, detained 32 people on suspicion of illegal tobacco production in a major operation, disrupting an international organized crime network. An illegal cigarette factory with production equipment and raw materials was discovered in Ludza, and a total of almost 300 million cigarettes and around 47 tons of shredded tobacco leaves were seized.

If the cigarettes were to end up on the Latvian market, for example, the total loss to the state would be more than EUR 75 million.

The police know that the criminals were involved in the production of illegal cigarettes for more than ten years.

According to unofficial information available to the Latvian Television (LTV), the alleged leader of the network, Rezekne businessman Elmars Laizans, has also been detained.