Фото: VSAT
Lithuanian border guards have detained six members of an organised group suspected of smuggling cigarettes using weather balloons launched from Belarus. The operation was carried out on Monday in Vilnius and the Vilnius District, the State Border Guard Service reported.
During searches, officers seized 7,500 packs of Belarusian-made cigarettes, cash, SIM cards of Lithuanian and Belarusian mobile operators, as well as mobile phones. Two vehicles were also confiscated.
The detainees are aged between 25 and 46. A court will soon decide on preventive measures for the suspects.
According to the Border Guard Service, border guards have already intercepted 7 balloons carrying contraband since the start of the year. A total of 24,000 packs of cigarettes have been seized.
Last year in Lithuania, 635 weather balloons and 59 balloons carrying cigarette contraband were detected. More than 1.6 million packs of cigarettes were confiscated. A total of 171 people involved in smuggling were detained.