Seven Smuggling Balloons With Illegal Cigarettes Detected in Latvia

Latvia has also faced a wave of smuggling balloons. The issue was reported on TV3 by Rihards Kozlovskis, the country’s minister of the interior.

The meteorological balloons did not pose a threat to air traffic, as Latvia has no airports in its border regions. Meanwhile, operations at Vilnius Airport in Lithuania were disrupted twice between Sunday and Monday.

Since Sunday evening, Latvian services have detected seven balloons carrying contraband. Each balloon transports around 60,000 cigarettes.

Kozlovskis noted that search operations are ongoing. He urged residents of border areas to inform the police if they find such balloons.