Fisherman finds balloon carrying 30,000 contraband cigarettes on Estonia's Lake Peipus

On February 17, 2026, in the morning, a fisherman found a balloon on the frozen Lake Peipus in Estonia that was carrying 30,000 contraband cigarettes. The Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) confirmed that these balloons are used for smuggling cigarettes across the Belarus-Estonia border, exploiting the frozen lake as a transit route. This incident is part of a series of similar smuggling attempts tied to Belarusian illicit networks using unmanned balloons to bypass border controls. The authorities continue to investigate and monitor these smuggling techniques that are viewed as hybrid tactics to undermine Estonia's border security and economic stability.