A large illegal factory producing counterfeit nicotine pouches has been dismantled in Kaunas, Lithuania after intelligence shared by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF).
OLAF informed that it identified indications of illegal manufacturing and passed its findings to the Lithuanian Customs Criminal Service, which launched an investigation and carried out a raid.
More than 330,000 boxes of nicotine pouches bearing the trademarks of well-known manufacturers were seized during the search.
Authorities also found around 30 different types of nicotine pouches of various flavours and with different nicotine contents.
Investigators discovered a fully operational production site used to manufacture, package and label the counterfeit products.
A significant quantity of finished but unlabelled nicotine pouches was also found, along with large amounts of raw materials — including liquids and bulk substances — intended for production.
Suspected supply to multiple markets
The factory is presumed to have supplied nicotine pouches to markets in Scandinavian and Baltic countries as well as the United Arab Emirates, according to OLAF.
Authorities also discovered nicotine classified as an acutely toxic substance, which OLAF said poses significant health risks if not handled under strict safety conditions.
“This is an exemplary case of how OLAF’s work turns information into action,” OLAF Director-General Petr Klement said. “Illicit nicotine products can then reach people without the safety checks that apply to legitimate products.”
Nicotine pouches are an alternative nicotine product sold in small sachets placed in the mouth, and they are part of a growing market in Europe, OLAF noted.
