Фото: podlaski.strazgraniczna.pl
Polish authorities have detained a 36-year-old Belarusian man and a 22-year-old Polish citizen on suspicion of cigarette smuggling. The Belarusian national also faces deportation proceedings, according to the Podlaskie Border Guard Unit.
In early June, Polish border guards discovered a package of cigarettes and the remains of a weather balloon in the municipality of Lipsk. The package contained 3,000 packs of cigarettes with a total value exceeding 60,000 zlotys. A GPS tracker and a SIM card were also found among the remnants of the balloon.
In the same area, border guards stopped a vehicle carrying the Belarusian and Polish nationals. Investigators determined that the two men had arrived to collect the cigarettes. Authorities also established that the Belarusian citizen had been staying in Poland for several months on a work visa but had never taken up employment.
Both men are suspected of involvement in the smuggling of excise goods. A court ordered their detention for three months pending further proceedings. Administrative proceedings have also been initiated against the Belarusian national with a view to his mandatory return to Belarus.