Corruption, Financial Services, Legislation, Lithuania, Transport

According to Darius Skarnulis, head of the SBGS's Immunity Division preventing and fighting corruption, there are two main areas where corruption incidents occur. The first one is when money is collected for smooth border-crossing, and the second one involves assistance to smugglers.

There's also a growing number of cases when arrival or departure stamps are put illegally on documents. In some rarer cases, border guards have money deals with smugglers and allow them to bring smuggled cigarettes stashed in hidden compartments in their vehicles.

Some border guards also allow taking stolen vehicles out of Lithuania and there have also been cases of border guards' involvement in the smuggling of illegal immigrants.

Another problem is related to border guards working in the so-called "green line" on the border with Belarus, the service said. There are cases every year when border guards are caught assisting contraband organizers by providing internal information about the position of border guards and their movement.