Lithuania seizes ten out of 25 cigarette-smuggling balloons

October 6, Pozirk. Lithuanian authorities have found ten of the 25 weather balloons that flew in from Belarus over the weekend, BNS reports, citing Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of the National Crisis Management Center.
Law enforcers arrested individuals who were allegedly going to pick up smuggled cigarettes transported by balloons, LRT said, citing the official.
Investigators are still searching for the suspected gang leaders.
At least 26 air balloons flew into Lithuania and Poland on the night of October 5–6. Most of them ended up in Lithuania, forcing Vilnius Airport to suspend operations. Disruptions affected about 30 flights and 6,000 passengers.
The detected balloons were carrying 12,000 packs of smuggled cigarettes.
Smugglers often use balloons to send cigarettes from Belarus to the European Union.
Suspected contraband balloons disrupt Vilnius Airport, affecting 6,000 passengers
- Society, SportHigh jumper Žodzik among top six athletes rated by Polish sports expertsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsPolish president to meet Belarusian diaspora leadersThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, Security
- Politics, SecurityPoland extends restrictions on acceptance asylum requests for another 60 daysThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyGeorgia expels five Belarusian men in nine months of 2025The material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyLate journalist Miełkazioraŭ among outstanding figures honored by United Transitional CabinetThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsLuxembourg, Latvia, Norway contributed €530,000 in 2025 to help Belarusian regime's victimsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyBelarus seeks resumption of direct air services with TurkmenistanThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyNuclear plant’s Unit 2 reconnected to grid after planned maintenanceThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityOfficials discussing paramilitary role for Financial Investigations DepartmentThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityCol. Iljukievič appointed as commander of Special Operations ForcesThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Society
- SocietyLithuanian border guards detained 11 wanted Belarusians in 2025The material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityPoland prevents five attempts by undocumented migrants to cross border from BelarusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Society
- PoliticsInterior ministry labels 26 as extremistsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyPolish Border Guard reports four seizures of cigarettes flown in from BelarusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyContraband cigarette seizures in Lithuania tripled in 2025 – border guardsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy
- SocietyInterior minister orders deployment of heavy equipment for snow removalThe material is available only to POZIRK+



