{"id":161963,"date":"2025-10-28T18:31:31","date_gmt":"2025-10-28T15:31:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/161963\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"nauseda-belarusian-kgb-orchestrating-cigarette-smuggling-operations","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/161963\/","title":{"rendered":"Naus\u0117da: Belarusian KGB orchestrating cigarette smuggling operations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n (Naus\u0117da's Facebook page)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

October 28, Pozirk.<\/em> <\/strong>Incursions by cigarette-smuggling balloons from Belarus mask hybrid attacks on Lithuania and aim to destabilize the country, Lithuanian President Gitanas Naus\u0117da has told journalists. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lithuanian authorities have substantial evidence, both direct and indirect, that these are premeditated actions, Delfi <\/em>reports, citing Naus\u0117da.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The president’s comments came hours after the Belarusian ruler shrugged off Lithuania’s accusations as absurd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Belarus, organizing large-scale balloon launches to a neighboring country without the authorities\u2019 knowledge is impossible, Naus\u0117da argued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is therefore quite obvious that special services, the Committee or State Security (KGB), are involved in the sale of tobacco products, some official and some destined for the illegal market, generating substantial profits from every smuggled pack of cigarettes,\u201d the president said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About a quarter of cigarettes sold in Lithuania are contraband, with smugglers earning up to \u20ac4 per pack, he said, accusing Minsk of promoting these practices to support and finance \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s regime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe will definitely not tolerate the launch of balloons, and the Lithuanian military is ready to shoot them down,\u201d Naus\u0117da noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yesterday, Vilnius closed border crossings in Medininkai and \u0160al\u010dininkai, the only two checkpoints that handled all cross-border traffic between Lithuania and Belarus, citing an influx of cigarette-smuggling balloons. In 2023, Lithuania closed  \u0160umskas and Tvere\u010dius crossings, followed by  Lavori\u0161k\u0117s and Raigardas in 2024 over national security and smuggling concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0141uka\u0161enka denounced Lithuania\u2019s closure of border checkpoints as \u201ca crazy gamble.\u201d He advised Lithuania to deal with the issue domestically: \u201cIf small balloons carrying cigarettes or something else are flying there, I believe the problem should be solved within their territory. Because they don\u2019t just fly to nowhere. Someone receives them and someone profits. They need to identify and root out these schemes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cigarette smuggling remains a lucrative illegal trade: while legally sold cigarettes are of higher quality, they cost in Lithuania three to four times more than those produced in Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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