Lithuanian authorities have launched 30 pretrial investigations into cigarette smuggling using balloons from Belarus, with about 90 people identified as suspects, Prosecutor General Nida Grunskienė said Thursday.
“We currently have over 30 pretrial investigations in which about 90 people have been identified as suspects. We also have cases already heard in court; 20 cases have been concluded and over 30 people have been found guilty and sentenced specifically for cigarette smuggling by balloon,” Grunskienė told the radio Žinių Radijas.
Authorities intercepted 635 balloon-borne contraband shipments last year. In 2024, the figure stood at 226, compared with only a few cases in 2023 and none in 2022.
So far this year, 83 such shipments have already been recorded, the prosecutor general said.
Grunskienė added that the number of suspects continues to grow in the largest investigation launched in December, which focuses on balloon smuggling and activities against the Lithuanian state. The case involves around 30 suspects and is unlikely to be resolved quickly.
“This case is very large and complex. It is difficult progress, but officers are working,” she said, noting that while some suspects remain in custody, others have had bail conditions adjusted.
The smuggling operations have also disrupted civil aviation. Last year, balloon incidents affected more than 300 flights at Vilnius Airport, impacting about 47,000 passengers and leading to nearly 60 hours of airport closures.
According to the State Border Guard Service, 35 people linked to airborne smuggling from Belarus have been detained so far this year, compared with 171 in 2025.
Lithuanian officials maintain that the smuggling operations, along with the detention of Lithuanian trucks in Belarus, constitute “hybrid attacks” on Lithuania by the Belarusian government. Following months-long restrictions, detained vehicles began returning to Lithuania this week.
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