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58m ago

Cigarette-Smuggling Balloons Force Overnight Shutdown at Vilnius Airport

Operations resumed early Sunday as officials attributed the incursion to cigarette smuggling rather than a coordinated state action.

In this undated photo released by the State Border Guard Service, an officer inspects a balloon used to carry cigarettes into Lithuania, because Belarussian smugglers often use them to ferry the contraband into the European Union (State Border Guard Service via AP)
photo of cigarettes, marlboro, cigarette pack, and grey in Bridgewater, United States by David Trinks

Overview

  • Up to 25 small hot-air balloons entered Lithuanian airspace late Saturday, prompting a safety suspension at Vilnius Airport until 4:50 a.m. Sunday.
  • The disruption delayed roughly 30 flights and affected about 6,000 passengers, according to Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Center.
  • Two balloons flew directly over the airport and more than two dozen reached Vilnius County, with sightings logged from about 8:45 p.m. to 4:30 a.m.
  • Border police recovered 11 balloons carrying roughly 18,000 packs of smuggled cigarettes at multiple locations.
  • Officials say Belarusian smugglers increasingly use low-cost balloons instead of drones, noting 966 balloon interceptions last year and 544 so far this year, as Lithuania tightens responses after recent drone incidents.