Belarusian Man and Four Poles Detained in Poland on Suspicion of Cigarette Smuggling

Reform.news Editorial Team · 21 October 2026, 15:13

https://reform.news/en/belarusian-man-and-four-poles-detained-in-poland-on-suspicion-of-cigarette-smuggling/

Five people have been detained in Poland on suspicion of collecting contraband cigarettes delivered from Belarus using weather balloons. One of those detained is a Belarusian citizen, the Polish Border Guard reports.

Three Polish citizens were detained by officers at the Bobrowniki border post. The men had arrived to collect cigarettes delivered by a weather balloon. One of the detainees was listed in police databases as wanted in connection with a theft and for failing to serve a prison sentence.

Two more people — a Belarusian citizen and a Polish citizen — were caught in the act when they arrived to collect the cigarettes.

All five detainees have been charged. By court order, they have been remanded in custody for three months.

In recent days, officers from the Polish Border Guard’s Podlasie unit have uncovered cigarettes worth 820,000 zlotys ($211,000) that had been transported from Belarus using weather balloons.