Border guards detain two men with 3,000 balloon-smuggled cigarette packs

Lithuanian border guards detained two Vilnius residents suspected of transporting 3,000 packs of cigarettes flown from Belarus by hot-air balloon, LRT reported, citing the State Border Guard Service.

On Monday night, officers stopped a Jeep Grand Cherokee on Vilnius’s Western Bypass while checking information about the illegal transport of excise goods by balloon. The vehicle was driven by a 42-year-old Vilnius resident, with a 24-year-old city resident as a passenger.

In the boot, officers found six cardboard boxes bearing the logo of Belarusian tobacco factory Neman. Each contained 500 packs of Minsk 5 Superslims cigarettes with Belarusian tax stamps. The cigarettes’ value, including taxes, exceeds 16,500 euros, the service said.

An investigation has been opened into the illegal possession of excise goods. The offence carries a fine or up to four years in prison. The men were taken to the Vilnius Border Guard Unit and released after questioning under a written commitment not to leave.