Lithuania seizes 55,000 packs of smuggled cigarettes flown via balloons

Lithuanian border guards and police intercepted nine shipments of contraband cigarettes flown from Belarus via hot air balloons during a single night and morning. The operation resulted in the seizure of 55,490 packs of illegal tobacco.

The intercepted shipments were located across four municipalities: four cases in the Varėna district, three in Kaišiadorys, one in Ukmergė, and one in Panevėžys. Some of the larger shipments were transported using clusters of multiple balloons. Each shipment was equipped with GPS trackers to allow smugglers to monitor their location.

Authorities stated that these seizures will be integrated into ongoing pre-trial investigations regarding the illegal disposal of excise-taxed goods, overseen by various regional prosecutors. While balloon-based smuggling became a prominent method following increased border security, officials noted that the number of such attempts has decreased compared to previous years.