{"id":173989,"date":"2026-02-02T22:40:38","date_gmt":"2026-02-02T19:40:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/173989\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"poland-intercepts-some-1-7-million-cigarettes-smuggled-in-from-belarus-by-balloons-in-january","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/173989\/","title":{"rendered":"Poland intercepts some 1.7 million cigarettes smuggled in from Belarus by balloons in January"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

February 2, Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> About 1,750,000 cigarettes smuggled into the Polish territory from Belarus using balloons were detected in Poland in January, reported the Polish Border Guard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The seized cigarettes are estimated at around 1,780,000 zlotys, or around $497,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The operations to detect such contraband were reportedly carried out together with the Operational Command of the Armed Forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Polish Border Guard continues its fight on the smuggling of excisable goods, including with unconventional methods, the report said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On January 31, the Polish Border Guard reported that two Belarusian nationals, 37 and 39 years of age, had been taken into custody for three months by order of a Polish judge for smuggling cigarettes with the help of weather balloons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both men face charges under the Fiscal Criminal Code and the Special Measures to Counteract Support for Aggression against Ukraine and to Protect National Security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They may face up to three years in prison if convicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the past week, Poland has reported violations of its airspace from the Belarusian direction on four occasions. All incidents involved weather balloons that smugglers use to transport cigarettes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On January 22, the Polish foreign ministry\u2019s spokesperson said that the ministry had summoned Belarus\u2019 charg\u00e9 d\u2019affaires to demand explanations over the incursion of around 150 balloons into Polish airspace on January 17.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Balloon incursions have previously caused tensions between Belarus and Lithuania. In late 2025, Vilnius declared an \u201cextreme situation,\u201d a low-level emergency, in response to what it described as a \u201chybrid attack from Belarus.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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