Major blow to balloon gang in Lithuania
Stockholm, December 17 (Hibya) – Lithuanian authorities announced that 21 people have been arrested on suspicion of involvement in cigarette smuggling from Belarus using balloons.
In a statement, prosecutors said that in more than 80 raids, Belarus-marked cigarettes, SIM cards, weapons and luxury cars were seized.
Lithuania recently declared a state of emergency, citing the security risk posed by balloons arriving from Belarus.
Prosecutors said the smuggling balloons were sent under suitable weather conditions and that the suspected gang used GPS to determine where the balloons landed.
The balloons not only disrupted air traffic, but were also described as a broader security threat given Belarus’s close ties with Russia and the war in Ukraine.
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