Фото: Straż Granicznа
Border guards in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship carried out an operation that resulted in the arrest of five people suspected of involvement in smuggling by air.
According to the Polish Border Guard, information was received on October 20 that weather balloons were flying into the voivodeship. Border guards, together with police, operated in four counties in the region.
A total of 660,000 cigarettes bearing Belarusian excise stamps were seized. Four Lithuanian citizens and one Belarusian citizen, who had arrived to collect the tobacco products, were detained.
By court order, all five were remanded in custody. They have been charged with tax offences and offences under the law on special measures to counter support for aggression against Ukraine and protect national security.
It should be noted that weather balloons carrying contraband usually land in the Podlasie and Lublin voivodeships, which directly border Belarus. To reach the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, the balloons had to travel 50–100 km through Polish airspace.