Suspected cigarette smugglers are believed to be the individuals behind the mysterious Belarusian balloons that recently alarmed Lithuania, forcing the country to close its border and declare a state of emergency.
Lithuanian authorities announced on Tuesday that they have arrested 21 people suspected of being members of a criminal group, accused of using GPS-equipped balloons to smuggle cigarettes from Belarus, Politico reports.
In a statement, the State Prosecutor’s Office said the suspected network was characterized by strict conspiracy and a clear division of roles, adding that the organizers may have had direct contacts with accomplices operating in Belarus. From there, under favorable weather conditions, balloons carrying contraband cigarettes were launched.
Lithuanian authorities said that GPS tracking enabled the monitoring of the balloons and that precise landing coordinates inside Lithuania were transmitted to those tasked with retrieving them.
The state declared a nationwide state of emergency last week due to the balloons, after having closed its border with Belarus in October.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys told Politico at the time that the balloons—each as large as a car—entering Lithuanian airspace while transporting contraband cigarettes constituted “hybrid activity,” even though they did not pose a direct security threat.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also condemned the escalation of balloon incidents from Belarus, stating on December 1 that “such a hybrid attack by the Lukashenko regime is completely unacceptable.”
According to data from Lithuania’s Ministry of the Interior, at least 600 balloons and 200 drones have entered Lithuanian airspace so far in 2025, disrupting more than 300 flights, affecting 47,000 passengers, and causing approximately 60 hours of airport closures.
The arrests of the suspected cigarette smugglers come at a time when countries on the EU’s eastern frontline, facing Russia, are urging Brussels to accelerate upcoming initiatives to strengthen border defenses—efforts that are meeting resistance from some European capitals.
