Lithuania detains suspects in smuggling operation using balloons from Belarus

According to Ukrinform, LRT reported this.

“Searches were carried out in the homes of three individuals; they were detained and taken into custody,” the statement said.

Yesterday, a prosecutor petitioned the court to impose the strictest preventive measure, detention for one month, on these individuals, the border service’s press office reported.

The detentions are described as a continuation of a State Border Guard Service operation conducted in early November. At that time, in the Varėna district, border officers detained Audi A6 and Škoda Octavia vehicles transporting Belarusian cigarettes. Five individuals were detained. It is believed they were acting as part of an organized group.

A pre-trial investigation is underway into the illegal sale of excisable goods and smuggling, led by the Kaunas District Prosecutor’s Office. This criminal activity carries a penalty of a fine or imprisonment for up to six years.

This year, Lithuanian border guards have already detained 107 individuals suspected of involvement in smuggling operations conducted from Belarus by air. Last year, the number was 46.

As reported, several meteorological balloons carrying contraband from Belarus were detected over Lithuania’s territory during the autumn. Their flights repeatedly disrupted the operations of Lithuanian airports.

Internationally, balloon platforms are frequently used for espionage and intelligence gathering.

Archive photo: VSAT nuotr.