MOSCOW. Feb 7 (Interfax-AVN) - The Federal Border Guard Service has registered an increase in the smuggling activity on the Russian-Lithuanian border, the press center of the service told Interfax-Military News Agency on Thursday.
According to specialists, attempts at illegal export of goods from Russia are motivated by growing prices on alcohol, cigarettes and some foodstuffs in Lithuania.
The escalation of smuggling activities was registered on the border several times last year. Russian border guards detained over 1,500 violators in 2001, while 793 were detained in 2000, the spokesman said.
At the same time, the level of violations decreased on Russia's borders with other Baltic states last year. Border guards on the Estonian frontier detained 155 violators in 2000 and 99 in 2001, while those on the Latvian frontier detained 148 violators in 2000 and 95 in 2001.