{"id":201078,"date":"2026-08-24T14:32:18","date_gmt":"2026-08-24T11:32:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/201078\/"},"modified":"2026-08-24T14:32:20","modified_gmt":"2026-08-24T11:32:20","slug":"lithuania-intercepts-two-drones-carrying-belarusian-cigarettes-2","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/201078\/","title":{"rendered":"Lithuania intercepts\u00a0two\u00a0drones\u00a0carrying Belarusian cigarettes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n\n \"\"\n
\n \n
\n (Lithuanian State Border Guard Service) <\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

August 24, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> Two homemade drones carrying smuggled Belarusian cigarettes were intercepted by Lithuanian border guards over a two-day period last week, the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service reported on Saturday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first drone reportedly crashed following a forced landing in the \u0160al\u010dininkai district late on August 18. The Lithuanian border control agency did not go into detail about the shipment it was carrying.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second drone was brought down using anti-drone equipment on August 19 near the village of Vosi\u016bnai in the \u0160ven\u010dionys district. The device was carrying 500 packs of Minsk City MS cigarettes bearing Belarusian excise stamps, valued at \u20ac2,730. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few hours later, two men, a 65-year-old local resident and his 19-year-old hired worker, arrived to retrieve the shipment, the report said. Both suspects attempted to flee but were arrested by border guards with the help of a service dog. They now face fines ranging from \u20ac5,200 to \u20ac6,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lithuanian border guards have reportedly downed 44 drones carrying contraband cigarettes from Belarus this year. Lithuania said that it intercepted 59 such drones in 2025 and 54 in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tensions between Belarus and Lithuania over cigarette-smuggling by air started rising last October, forcing Lithuanian authorities to close the border and suspend operations at Vilnius International Airport, located close to the Belarusian border, over incursion of smugglers\u2019 balloons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vilnius declared an \u201cextreme situation,\u201d a low-level emergency, on December 9 in response to what it called \u201ca hybrid attack from Belarus.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

August 24, Pozirk. Two homemade drones carrying smuggled Belarusian cigarettes were intercepted by Lithuanian border guards over a two-day period last week, the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service reported on Saturday.  The first drone reportedly crashed following a forced landing in the \u0160al\u010dininkai district late on August 18. The Lithuanian border control agency did not go into detail about the shipment it was carrying.     The second drone was […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":73,"featured_media":201026,"template":"","rubric":[21,15],"class_list":["post-201078","articles","type-articles","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","rubric-economy","rubric-society"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nLithuania intercepts\u00a0two\u00a0drones\u00a0carrying Belarusian cigarettes | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"August 24, Pozirk. Two homemade drones carrying smuggled Belarusian cigarettes were intercepted by Lithuanian border guards over a\" \/>\n<meta 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