On Saturday evening, an uncontrolled balloon carrying contraband from Belarus was spotted over Vilnius Airport before crashing onto the premises.
Upon detecting the balloon, Vilnius Airport authorities promptly alerted local law enforcement and Lithuania’s anti-terrorism unit, ARAS. The balloon came down at around 11:45 p.m., according to Lithuanian airport operator LTOU.
News reports from LRT indicate that the balloon was carrying 1,250 packs of Minsk cigarettes.
The balloon exploded mid-air, dropping a black box wrapped in foil into the airport's territory. Border guards confirmed the cargo contained Belarusian cigarettes, a common smuggling method along the Lithuania-Belarus border.
Despite the incident, Vilnius Airport operations and flights remained unaffected.
Lithuanian authorities have observed a rise in smuggling attempts using drones and weather balloons ever since Lithuania fortified its border with Belarus.
This latest incident is under investigation by customs officers and the police.
