As part of a large-scale anti-criminal operation, the Lithuanian police detained 27 people, almost half of whom are members of the police and border guards themselves. The suspects were supposed to connect with smugglers from neighboring Belarus and help them coordinate the illegal importation of contraband.
Police in Lithuania have detained 27 people, including 13 police and border guards, as part of a major operation targeting criminal groups that use balloons to smuggle contraband from neighboring Belarus into the Baltic state, police said on Friday. TASR informs about it according to the report of the DPA agency.
- Lithuanian police detained 27 people for smuggling contraband with balloons from Belarus.
- Among those detained are 13 members of the police and the border guard.
- Criminal groups used GPS devices and encrypted communication for smuggling.
- Smugglers violated Lithuanian airspace with balloons and repeatedly threatened air traffic.
- Lithuania has declared a state of emergency and toughened penalties for smugglers.
Meteorological balloons for transporting contraband
The suspects allegedly hatched a plan to transport goods together with Belarusian smugglers. Thirteen members of the security forces are accused of abuse of authority. During this operation, the authorities made 74 searches and a total of 49 people are suspected.
Police said criminal groups used GPS devices and encrypted communications to precisely track weather balloon landing sites and coordinate their activities. The smuggled goods were subsequently picked up and later sold.
According to the Lithuanian authorities, these smuggling operations were a threat to national, economic and security interests, as well as to civil aviation and public safety.
Hybrid attack from Belarus
Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Rugininéová said that the detention of more than a dozen police officers and border guards is painful news for the state and society.
Balloons launched from Belarus started violating Lithuanian airspace last year. Smugglers usually use them to illegally transport cigarettes. They repeatedly threatened air traffic and had to interrupt operations at the Vilnius airport several times. A similar incident occurred this month as well.
Lithuania considers the increased number of balloons to be a “hybrid attack” from Belarus aimed at causing chaos. In response, the government temporarily closed the borders and a state of emergency has been in place since December, allowing Lithuanian authorities and the military to respond more quickly to airspace violations. At the same time, there are stricter penalties for smugglers, who face immediate imprisonment.
