20 Tonnes of Radioactive Blueberries Seized in Attempt to Bring Them from Belarus into Lithuania

Reform.news Editorial Team · 4 November 2026, 18:05

https://reform.news/en/20-tonnes-of-radioactive-blueberries-seized-in-attempt-to-bring-them-from-belarus-into-lithuania/

Lithuanian border guards have stopped a shipment of radioactive blueberries from entering Lithuania from Belarus.

The truck carrying the berries crossed the border on November 3 at the Šalčininkai checkpoint. It was driven by a 46-year-old Belarusian citizen who holds a temporary residence permit in Lithuania.

A stationary radiation monitoring system was triggered as the truck crossed the border. The vehicle and its cargo were then subjected to an additional check using a portable dosimeter, which showed that the radiation level of the blueberries was 0.07 μSv/h. A radioactive isotope identifier established that the source of the radiation was caesium-137.

The truck carrying the blueberries was sent back to Belarus, Lithuania’s State Border Guard Service reported.

A few days ago, Belarus also attempted to transport seven tonnes of radioactive chanterelle mushrooms into Lithuania.