Один из метеозондов, перехваченных в Литве. Иллюстративное фото: VSAT
The Vilnius Regional Prosecutor’s Office has sent to court a criminal case against two Lithuanian citizens. They are accused of smuggling cigarettes using weather balloons, as well as illegal possession of excise goods.
The men were detained in October last year, when cases of aerial smuggling from Belarus to Lithuania had significantly increased. Later, the Lithuanian government closed the border due to the weather balloons.
According to the prosecution, the suspects, acting jointly with individuals located in Belarus, carried out the task of collecting cigarettes delivered by balloons. Three batches of NZ Gold cigarettes were seized from the men — a total of 4,500 packs worth more than 23,200 euros.