{"id":176608,"date":"2026-02-20T18:54:31","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T15:54:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/176608\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"three-men-jailed-in-lithuania-for-smuggling-cigarettes-from-belarus","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/176608\/","title":{"rendered":"Three men jailed in Lithuania for smuggling cigarettes from Belarus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"block-image block-image-normal\">\n\n  <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"722\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260219-cig-Salcin-4.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260219-cig-Salcin-4.jpeg 722w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260219-cig-Salcin-4-354x236.jpeg 354w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260219-cig-Salcin-4-178x118.jpeg 178w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 722px) 100vw, 722px\" \/>\n  <figcaption>\n  \n       <div class=\"block-image__author\">\n                <span>(Lithuanian State Border Guard Service)<\/span>\n    <\/div>\n     <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>February 20, <em>Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> Three local residents were arrested and sentenced to one month in jail for cigarette smuggling after a drone from Belarus was intercepted in the \u0160al\u010dininkai district in Lithuania, the country\u2019s State Border Guard Service reported on February 20.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Attached to the drone was a package containing 1000 packs of NZ Gold cigarettes, the report said. A package containing another 1000 packs of cigarettes of the same brand was discovered in the vehicle of one of the three men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The total market value of the packs is estimated at 9,900 euros.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The three locals had been arrested for a similar offence in the past.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tensions between Belarus and Lithuania have been rising since mid-October 2025 over an influx of cigarette-smuggling balloons. According to the Lithuanian transport ministry, Lithuania restricted air traffic at least 16 times since October 2025 in response to incursions of the balloons carrying Belarusian-made cigarettes. As a result, the airports in Vilnius and Kaunas have repeatedly suspended their operations, which has affected more than 370 flights and about 53,000 passengers and caused more than 2.3 million euros in damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The most recent closure of Vilnius International Airport occurred on the evening of February 17.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cigarettes cost the equivalent of about \u20ac1 per pack in Belarus and are significantly cheaper than legally sold cigarettes in Latvia and Lithuania, where prices start at around \u20ac5. Smuggled NZ-brand cigarettes can be purchased in Vilnius for about \u20ac2 per pack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"insert-block\">\n\n    <div class=\"insert-block__img\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"354\" height=\"236\" src=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/airport-vilnius-POZ-354x236.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/airport-vilnius-POZ-354x236.jpg 354w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/airport-vilnius-POZ-734x490.jpg 734w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/airport-vilnius-POZ-178x118.jpg 178w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/airport-vilnius-POZ-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/airport-vilnius-POZ.jpg 864w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 354px) 100vw, 354px\" \/>                        <label class=\"insert-block__tag--mobile\"> Economy<\/label>\n\n                            <label class=\"insert-block__tag--mobile\"> Security<\/label>\n\n                            <label class=\"insert-block__tag--mobile\"> Society<\/label>\n\n                <\/div>\n    <div class=\"insert-block__text\">\n                    <label class=\"insert-block__tag\">Economy, Security, Society<\/label>\n                <h3 class=\"insert-block__title\">Air smuggling from Belarus keeps affecting Vilnius Airport operations<\/h3>\n        <div class=\"insert-block__descr\">February 18, Pozirk. Vilnius International Airport was closed from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. yesterday due to air smuggling balloons, Delfi reported. Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka&#039;s regime is using the incursions as a hybrid attack against Lithuania, according to the Lithuanian National &#8230;<\/div>\n        <a class=\"insert-block__btn-block\" href=\"\/en\/news\/176172\">\n            <button class=\"btn\">\n                <div class='btn__text'>Read<\/div>\n            <\/button>\n        <\/a>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"insert-block\">\n\n    <div class=\"insert-block__img\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"354\" height=\"236\" src=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ruginene_lrt-354x236.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ruginene_lrt-354x236.jpg 354w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ruginene_lrt-178x118.jpg 178w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ruginene_lrt.jpg 638w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 354px) 100vw, 354px\" \/>                        <label class=\"insert-block__tag--mobile\"> Politics<\/label>\n\n                            <label class=\"insert-block__tag--mobile\"> Security<\/label>\n\n                <\/div>\n    <div class=\"insert-block__text\">\n                    <label class=\"insert-block__tag\">Politics, Security<\/label>\n                <h3 class=\"insert-block__title\">Lithuania complains to ICAO about balloon incursions from Belarus<\/h3>\n        <div class=\"insert-block__descr\">February 18, Pozirk. Lithuania has formally complained to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) about invasions of its airspace from Belarus, submitting the collected evidence to the UN agency, Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga R\u016bginien\u0117 told reporters on February 18. \u201cThese &#8230;<\/div>\n        <a class=\"insert-block__btn-block\" href=\"\/en\/news\/176253\">\n            <button class=\"btn\">\n                <div class='btn__text'>Read<\/div>\n            <\/button>\n        <\/a>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>February 20, Pozirk. Three local residents were arrested and sentenced to one month in jail for cigarette smuggling after a drone from Belarus was intercepted in the \u0160al\u010dininkai district in Lithuania, the country\u2019s State Border Guard Service reported on February 20. Attached to the drone was a package containing 1000 packs of NZ Gold cigarettes, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":83,"featured_media":176586,"template":"","rubric":[21,30,15],"class_list":["post-176608","articles","type-articles","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","rubric-economy","rubric-security","rubric-society"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Three men jailed in Lithuania for smuggling cigarettes from Belarus | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"February 20, Pozirk. 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