Three People Suspected of Smuggling Cigarettes by Weather Balloons Detained in Vilnius

Reform.news · 8 October 2026, 19:38

https://reform.news/en/three-people-suspected-of-smuggling-cigarettes-by-weather-balloons-detained-in-vilnius/

Officers of the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service detained three people in Vilnius suspected of involvement in smuggling cigarettes from Belarus. Border guards found about 36,000 packs of cigarettes bearing Belarusian excise stamps in garages in the Pašilaičiai district.

The operation was carried out on the morning of October 8. Border guards spotted Mercedes-Benz and BMW X5 vehicles with Lithuanian license plates entering a garage complex. When the vehicles began to leave, officers attempted to stop them.

According to the State Border Guard Service, the driver of the BMW X5 ignored the order to stop and rammed a border guard vehicle. While attempting to stop the fleeing SUV, a VSAT officer used a gas weapon. The vehicle was soon stopped in the courtyard of an apartment building. The driver was a 25-year-old Vilnius resident.

A 38-year-old resident of the Šalčininkai district driving the Mercedes-Benz was also detained near the garage complex. In several garages, border guards found about 36,000 packs of cigarettes bearing Belarusian excise stamps. Their exact quantity and brands are being determined.

“Remnants of a balloon found at the scene indicate that the illegal tobacco products were delivered from Belarus in precisely this way,” the State Border Guard Service said.

Later, border guards detained another suspect in a courtyard in Pašilaičiai. The 34-year-old resident of the Šalčininkai district was in a VW Passat.

Authorities are deciding what preventive measures to impose on the detainees. A pre-trial investigation has been launched into the illegal handling of excise goods. The men could face a fine or up to eight years in prison.