Case of Highly Dangerous Drug Trafficking in Vilnius Referred to Court (video)
Officers of the Vilnius County Police Headquarters Third Police Station of Vilnius City, in cooperation with prosecutors from the 3rd Division of the Vilnius District Prosecutor’s Office of the Vilnius Regional Prosecutor’s Office, have completed a complex pre-trial investigation and submitted a criminal case to the Vilnius District Court. The charges concern the unlawful possession of a very large quantity of narcotic or psychotropic substances (Article 260(3) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Lithuania) and the unlawful possession of narcotic or psychotropic substances without the intent to distribute (Article 259(1) of the Criminal Code).
The pre-trial investigation was launched in November 2024, following information received about the suspected distribution of a particularly potent narcotic substance — carfentanil — in the capital.
Carfentanil is one of the most dangerous known opioids, up to 100 times stronger than morphine. Due to its extreme toxicity, even a trace amount can be fatal, making its circulation an immense threat to public safety.
The investigation was lengthy and complex. Officers collected, analyzed, and systematized extensive data, conducting numerous procedural actions. Although the suspect — a man born in 1998 — used encrypted communication apps and other protective measures for concealment, investigators managed to uncover the structure of his criminal operation.
The investigation revealed that he acted as a higher-level distributor, employing several trusted individuals who obtained larger quantities of carfentanil from him and sold them to users in Vilnius.
Once sufficient evidence of his criminal activity was gathered, a decision was made to detain him. The operation was meticulously planned — with the assistance of officers from the Special Operations Division of the Public Order Board of the Vilnius County Police Headquarters, the suspect (b. 1998) and his accomplice (b. 1965) were apprehended in the act, while purchasing narcotic substances this April.
A search of the suspect’s residence uncovered specially equipped hiding places containing a large quantity of drugs, as well as equipment used for weighing, packaging, and transporting narcotics — further evidence of a well-organized trafficking network.
Expert examination confirmed that the seized substance was carfentanil, a highly dangerous drug, and that the quantity confiscated exceeded the legal threshold for a “very large amount” by approximately 22 times. The estimated street value of the seized drugs amounts to tens of thousands of euros.
By court order, one suspect has been placed in pre-trial detention, the strictest preventive measure.
The pre-trial investigation was organized and directed by prosecutors from the 3rd Division of the Vilnius District Prosecutor’s Office of the Vilnius Regional Prosecutor’s Office.
The police also remind the public that any information about known cases of drug distribution or use can be reported to the Lithuanian Police trust line “Narkotikams - NE” (“No to Drugs”) at +370 700 60777. The hotline operates on working days from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Information received is forwarded to a specialized unit of the Criminal Police, where designated officers verify the data within one working day, check whether an investigation is already underway, and refer the information to the relevant territorial police station.
