# Two men detained in Lithuania after a balloon carrying 3000 packs of cigarettes from Belarus landed

- URL: https://syn.by/en/society/two-men-detained-lithuania/
- Published: 2026-11-03T16:00:06+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-03T16:00:06+00:00
- Section: Society
- Language: en
- RU edition: https://syn.by/ru/obshchestvo/v-litve-zaderzhali-dvoikh-muzhchin.md
- BE edition: https://syn.by/hramadztva/u-litvie-zatrymali-dvaich-muzhchyn.md

> The cargo, taxes included, was valued at 16530 euros. The balloon came down in a field less than two kilometres from the Belarusian border.

![](https://syn.by/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/illustration-6104-1024x585.webp)

In Lithuania's Vilnius District, border guards found a balloon carrying 3000 packs of Belarusian cigarettes. The cargo, taxes included, is worth 16530 euros.

The balloon landed in a field near the village of Laukininkai, less than two kilometres from the border with Belarus. Nearby, border guards found a Volkswagen Passat in which two men, aged 37 and 20, had presumably arrived to collect the contraband. The car contained a night vision device, two knives and a cutter. Both men have been detained.

Smuggling balloons from Belarusian territory have appeared in Lithuanian skies before. In June 2024, a huge balloon with a cargo, most likely cigarettes, was spotted at the Šalčininkai checkpoint. In April 2026, smugglers' balloons launched from Belarusian territory entered Lithuanian airspace.