The arrests follow a large-scale operation involving 80 coordinated raids across the country. Investigators seized smuggled cigarettes, weapons, luxury vehicles, and surveillance equipment. Last month, authorities identified more than 100 individuals believed to be involved in the broader network. The balloon smuggling activity caused Lithuania’s government toa state of emergency earlier in December, citing “national security concerns” as well as continue to continue the operation. The smuggling network “may have directly maintained contacts with accomplices operating in the Republic of Belarus,” prosecutors say.
Source: OCCRP, 2025-12-18; https://www.occrp.org/en/news/lithuania-arrests-21-in-hot-air-balloon-cigarette-smuggling-crackdown