Men face fines of up to €27,600 for smuggling cigarettes via hot air balloons

Lithuanian prosecutors have filed for court approval to close two cases involving the smuggling of cigarettes from Belarus using hot air balloons, with suspects facing fines ranging from €7,000 to €27,600, LRT reports.

The Kaunas Regional Prosecutor’s Office is seeking summary judgments—used when defendants admit guilt and case circumstances are clear—in two separate cases. In one, three individuals are accused of smuggling and illegal handling of excise goods, while another person faces similar charges in a separate case.

According to pretrial investigations, E. R., D. N., and D. R. allegedly operated as part of an organized group with accomplices in Belarus. They evaded customs controls and failed to declare any acquisition documents while obtaining excise-taxed cigarettes marked with Belarusian excise stamps. The cigarettes were transported into Lithuania using hot air balloons equipped with GPS and mobile communication devices.

In the Druskininkai municipality, the suspects acquired over 42,000 packs of cigarettes, with a total value—including unpaid taxes—exceeding €205,000. Investigators also found that the same group had previously obtained around 21,000 packs worth approximately €109,000 under similar circumstances.

In the second case, E. M. is accused of repeatedly acquiring, storing, and selling smuggled cigarettes in Lithuania. Over three months, E. M. allegedly obtained about 44,000 packs, with a total value, including taxes, of over €218,000. Investigations revealed that E. M. sourced the cigarettes from a member of the organized group involved in the balloon smuggling operation.

Prosecutors have requested that E. R., D. N., and D. R. be found guilty and fined between €7,000 and €27,600, with a one-third reduction for time already served in detention. For E. M., prosecutors are seeking a fine of €7,400.

The pretrial investigations were led by the Kaunas Regional Prosecutor’s Office and conducted by officers from the State Border Guard Service’s Varėna Border Guard Unit.