Balloons carrying significant quantities of contraband cigarettes disrupted flights in Lithuania, leading to the temporary closure of Vilnius Airport. The National Crisis Management Centre (NCMC) reported that 25 meteorological balloons were identified as entering Lithuanian airspace from Belarus, with two of these balloons floating over the airport itself. This closure resulted in 30 flight cancellations and impacted around 6,000 passengers, with potential ongoing delays.
The incident took place amidst heightened tensions in Europe, attributed to recent airspace violations, including drone incursions suspected to be linked to Russia. Moscow has denied involvement in these incidents. Lithuanian officials indicated that up to 14 balloons had been launched in the Vilnius area, which is near the Belarusian border. At least 11 of these balloons, carrying approximately 18,000 packs of black-market cigarettes, have been recovered, with the possibility of more being found.
A spokesperson from the NCMC noted that the use of balloons for smuggling cigarettes from Belarus is not uncommon in Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland. In 2023, there have been 544 recorded instances of balloons entering Lithuania from Belarus, compared to 966 in the previous year. Similarly, Poland’s Podlaskie region has reported over 100 cases in which contraband was imported using these balloons.
In a recent case, Polish police apprehended an individual linked to a car that was reportedly following balloons delivering cigarettes. A geolocation tag associated with the illicit goods was also discovered. When inquired about the choice of balloons over drones for smuggling, the NCMC representative stated that balloons are cheaper than drones for this purpose. Efforts by authorities are directed toward seizing contraband and detaining smugglers to mitigate risks to civil aviation.
Disruptions caused by drones, unrelated to this incident, had previously affected airports in Denmark and surrounding countries, which prompted discussions about enhancing air defense systems.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0r0ezjzwpno?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss