An illegal factory producing counterfeit nicotine pouches has been dismantled in Kaunas, Lithuania, and authorities believe the products were destined for Scandinavia. More than 330,000 boxes were seized in the July 2026 raid.
Avisen Danmark reports that Lithuanian authorities, working with the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), uncovered the illegal production site in Kaunas, Lithuania’s second largest city, in July 2026. The seized boxes carried logos from well-known nicotine pouch brands, including Velo.
According to the reporting, the assessment of the authorities is that the factory supplied counterfeit nicotine pouches to the Scandinavian market, among others. The same Ritzau story was also published by Berlingske. Avisen Danmark notes that OLAF described the case in a press release on its website in early August.
OLAF stated on August 7, 2026, that it provided the intelligence that led Lithuanian customs investigators to the site. The EU office said more than 330,000 boxes of counterfeit pouches were seized, bearing the trademarks of well-known manufacturers. OLAF added that the factory is presumed to have supplied markets in Scandinavia, the Baltic countries and the United Arab Emirates.
The local Kaunas outlet Kas vyksta Kaune reports that Lithuanian customs criminal investigators had been examining a small Lithuanian company since April 2026. The premises were raided in mid-July, and the site is described as a full production, packaging and labeling line. The outlet notes that Lithuania treats nicotine pouches as an imitation of snus and bans their production and trade by legal entities.
Industry warns of a new illegal market
The discovery has prompted concern from Nikotinbranchen, the Danish trade organization for smoke-free nicotine products. Its director, Inger Schroll-Fleischer, told Avisen Danmark that this is the first time the industry has seen counterfeit production of nicotine pouches. She said the fact that copy production is aimed at Scandinavia indicates the size of the illegal market.
Per Schroll-Fleischer, the contents of the copy products are unknown, which means they pose a risk to consumers. She said the industry already faces problems with nicotine products being sold illegally online and on social media. Those sales, she noted, involve products without age control and pouches with illegal flavors and nicotine levels.
Schroll-Fleischer said counterfeit products will become an additional challenge in a situation where illegal sales already take place openly on websites and social platforms. She added that she expects a market for counterfeit nicotine pouches to develop, and said it would be naive to assume the Lithuanian factory is an isolated case.
OLAF’s account and the Danish reporting align, though the EU office describes the Scandinavian supply route as presumed. The distribution chain and final recipients are not detailed in the available sources.
