Eight People Detained In Poland In The Case Of Air Smuggling Of Cigarettes From Belarus

• 13.02.2026, 12:17

They've been indicted.

Eight people who allegedly smuggled cigarettes from Belarus using balloons have been detained by officers of the Polish Border Guard's Podlaskie department.

According to information of the agency, they are four Polish citizens aged 22 to 44, as well as four Lithuanian citizens aged 30 to 34.

The detainees are charged with smuggling tobacco products, as well as under the law on special measures to counteract support for aggression against Ukraine. The incriminated acts are punishable by imprisonment for at least 3 years.

Four Lithuanian citizens and one citizen of Poland were arrested for 3 months by court decision, while the others were placed under police supervision and banned from leaving the country.

According to the agency, the approximate total value of cigarettes, illegally delivered from Belarus by air since the beginning of the year, exceeds 2.8 million zlotys (about $784 thousand). A total of 16 people were detained in the case of air smuggling.