Poland detains two Lithuanians in cigarette smuggling case involving weather balloons

Polish border guard officers carried out an operation on Friday that led to the detention of nine individuals suspected of smuggling cigarettes from Belarus across the Polish border by means of weather balloons. Among those detained were two citizens of Lithuania, alongside three Polish nationals and four Belarusian nationals.

As part of the operation, authorities confiscated more than 3,900 cartons of cigarettes. The total value of the seized goods exceeded 621,000 Polish zloty, equivalent to more than 143,000 euros.

Probe continues

The Polish Border Guard service stated that the investigation into the case remains open, with officials working to identify any additional individuals connected to the smuggling scheme. The use of balloons to move contraband across the border has become a recurring method employed by smugglers operating in the area.

Officials also noted that since the start of the year, Polish border authorities have detained a total of 40 people suspected of using weather balloons to smuggle cigarettes from Belarus into Poland, pointing to the persistent scale of this type of cross-border smuggling activity.