Фото: VSAT
A Lithuanian citizen has been fined heavily for smuggling Belarusian cigarettes using a weather balloon. He was also ordered to compensate Vilnius Airport for losses resulting from flight cancellations and delays.
The 33-year-old resident of the Šalčininkai district was detained in October 2025. Officers found 1,500 packs of Belarusian cigarettes, remnants of a weather balloon and a GPS tracker in his vehicle. Criminal proceedings were subsequently launched against him, the Lithuanian Border Guard Service reported.
The case was heard by the Vilnius Regional District Court. The defendant said he had met a Belarusian man who offered him an opportunity to earn money by transporting cigarettes using balloons. The Lithuanian received the coordinates of a landed shipment and travelled to collect it, but was detained by border guards.
The court found him guilty of smuggling and unlawful handling of excise goods.
The court imposed a fine on the defendant. In 2021, he had already been fined €12,300 for smuggling, but that penalty had not been paid. The total fine was set at €20,000.
In addition, the Lithuanian was ordered to pay €22,108 in damages under a civil claim brought by Lietuvos oro uostai, the operator of Vilnius Airport. On the night he collected the shipment, the airport was temporarily closed because of an influx of weather balloons. Twenty-five flights were cancelled, nine were diverted to other airports and 20 were delayed.
The defendant was also ordered to pay €880 in compensation for the Volkswagen Passat he used to collect the cigarettes. The vehicle belonged to an acquaintance and was confiscated.