Lithuania Intercepts Nine Shipments of Belarusian Cigarettes Smuggled by Weather Balloons

Reform.news Editorial Team · 9 October 2026, 15:27

https://reform.news/en/lithuania-intercepts-nine-shipments-of-belarusian-cigarettes-smuggled-by-weather-balloons/

On Thursday, October 8, Lithuanian border guards intercepted nine shipments of Belarusian cigarettes smuggled across the border using weather balloons.

Four incidents were recorded in Varėna District, three in Kaišiadorys District, and one each in Ukmergė and Panevėžys districts, the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service reported.

Some of the larger shipments were carried not by a single balloon but by several balloons connected to one another. GPS trackers were attached to all the loads to track their locations.

In total, border guards intercepted 55,490 packs of cigarettes.