Lithuanian authorities have arrested 21 people allegedly linked to a criminal network that used hot-air and helium-filled balloons to smuggle cigarettes from Belarus, according to a statement from the Prosecutor's Office.
The arrests followed a large-scale operation involving 80 coordinated raids across the country. Investigators seized smuggled cigarettes, weapons, luxury vehicles, and surveillance equipment, with assets valued at approximately 720,000 euro ($844,207).
According to prosecutors, the smuggling network “may have directly maintained contacts with accomplices operating in the Republic of Belarus, from where, under favorable weather conditions, balloons with contraband were launched.”
Last month, authorities arrested four suspects in connection with the smuggling operation and identified more than 100 individuals believed to be involved in the broader network. The balloon smuggling activity caused Lithuania's government to declare a state of emergency earlier in December, citing “national security concerns” as well as continued disruptions to civil aviation, said Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovič.
