Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovič said Monday that closing Lithuania’s border with Belarus, a measure aimed at pressuring Minsk and curbing contraband, is producing results, with significantly fewer smuggling balloons entering Lithuanian airspace this month.
“Last month we detected and stopped around 70 balloons,” Kondratovič told LRT RADIO. “Today is November 10, and we have found seven or eight so far. That’s about a third of the month, and we can already see that the pressure we applied since late October is paying off.”
According to the minister, some of the money and GPS tracking equipment used in the smuggling operations may have crossed the border into Lithuania.
“We have to admit that part of the funds or tools, such as trackers or GPS transmitters, were crossing the border, which made it possible to send contraband into Lithuania in this way,” he said.
At the end of October, Lithuanian airports were forced to halt operations several times because of weather balloons launched from Belarus and used to transport smuggled cigarettes. The disruptions affected about 150 flights and more than 20,000 passengers.
Lithuanian officials have insisted the balloon activity was a “hybrid attack” orchestrated by the authoritarian regime of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. The European Union condemned Minsk’s actions, and NATO expressed support for Lithuania.
In response to the threat to civil aviation, the Lithuanian government temporarily closed its border with Belarus for one month, with some exceptions. The decision remains in effect until November 30, after which the cabinet will decide whether to extend the closure.
Meanwhile, on October 31, Lukashenko signed a decree banning the use and movement of trucks and tractor-trailers registered in Lithuania and Poland within Belarusian territory.
The most recent airport closure due to the balloon threat occurred Saturday evening, when operations were suspended for a little more than an hour.
To counter the smuggling activities, Lithuanian authorities established a joint investigation team comprising officers from the State Border Guard Service, national police, and Customs Criminal Service.
Kondratovič said the group is highly motivated, though it is too early to assess its results.
“It’s too soon to talk about the outcomes of the joint team,” he said. “But I’m satisfied with their engagement, officers are showing initiative without needing to be urged.”
“There are additional cases, new suspects, and new detainees,” he added.
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