{"id":184082,"date":"2026-04-17T14:17:47","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T11:17:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/184082\/"},"modified":"2026-04-17T14:17:49","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T11:17:49","slug":"lithuania-intercepts-12-cigarette-smuggling-drones-from-belarus-since-january","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/184082\/","title":{"rendered":"Lithuania intercepts 12 cigarette-smuggling drones from Belarus since January"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n (vsat.lrv.lt)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

April 17, Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> Lithuanian border guards have intercepted 12 drones with contraband cigarettes from Belarus since the start of 2026, the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most recent such incident occurred last night in Vilnius district, a few hundred meters from the shared border with Belarus. The drone reportedly carried 750 packs of NZ Gold cigarettes with Belarusian excise stamps worth \u20ac4,035.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last year, Lithuanian border guards intercepted 59 drones with contraband goods from Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smuggling by air has been a source of significant tensions between Lithuania and Belarus since last fall. In late 2025, Vilnius declared a low-level emergency over incursions by cigarette-smuggling balloons that disrupted operations at the country\u2019s airports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cigarettes cost around \u20ac1 per pack in Belarus, making them significantly cheaper than legally sold cigarettes in Lithuania, where prices start at about \u20ac5. Smuggled NZ-brand cigarettes can be purchased in Vilnius for around \u20ac2 per pack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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