VSAT detained six individuals involved in smuggling cigarettes via helium balloons launched from Belarus to Lithuania near Vilnius.

In an undercover operation by Lithuania's State Border Guard Service, six suspects aged 25-46 from Vilnius and Šalčininkai district were arrested for organizing contraband smuggling using hot air balloons from Belarus. Authorities seized 7,500 hot air balloons, over 24,000 packs of cigarettes, and contraband worth about 1.6 million euros. This method involved launching the balloons across the Belarus-Lithuania border to deliver cigarettes stored in warehouses. This case is part of ongoing investigations into cross-border illicit trade using drones, balloons, and mobile communication technologies, signifying a sophisticated smuggling network.