Weather balloons carrying contraband cigarettes entered Lithuanian airspace on Saturday, leading to the closure of Vilnius Airport for hours, affecting 6,000 passengers on 30 flights.
Lithuanian police recovered 11 balloons and some 18,000 packs of smuggled cigarettes in different locations, according to Darius Buta, a spokesperson for the country’s National Crisis Management Center.
Buta said that because two of the balloons — which smugglers now commonly use to transport illegal goods from neighbouring Belarus — flew above the airport.
Oh this is a standard ops on border, simple drones that carry about single "karobka" about 50 packs of cigarettes, balloons can carry couple karobkas. Border Guards on "western" side (also Ukrainian border guards) do intercept such ops regularly.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't aware... it makes sense though, cigarettes are trade goods all over the world, like good alcohol
DeleteEarlier the "ants" did that job, just a few pack for a person to legally cross over the border on checkpoint as part of local border traffic regulations. Multiple such persons a day and you have steady stream of cigarettes. But for larger deliveries they used classic hidden compartments in cars, trailers, train wagons ect. the usual stuff. Of course as detection methods get better, smuggling methods also improved, air way was one of such thing. First some paraglide, helos even, balloons then take place and now simple drones. For couple of years now drones became increasing the "go to" way for smugglers on many external EU borders. I got a vid from Ukrainian Border Guard action, 3 years old but still show how such ops looks alike: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c79bPD5RiLU&t=2s
Deletethanks for the extra info, and the video link! Those are well made drones! I never heard of the "ant" method until you told me... makes sense!
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