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Balloons carrying thousands of packs of cigarettes have disrupted flights in Lithuania, as the country's main airport was compelled to shut down for several hours when dozens of them drifted across the national airspace.

Air Travel Interruptions

The airport closure led to the cancellation of 30 flights affecting 6,000 passengers, with authorities cautioning that delays might continue throughout Monday.

Law Enforcement Actions

Authorities reported that twenty-five weather balloons were detected entering Lithuania from the border with Belarus, with two of which ending up precisely above the airport's airspace.

Up to 14 of the weather balloons deployed throughout the weekend drifted across the metropolitan zone, which is the location of Lithuania's primary metropolis and adjacent to the frontier with Belarus.

Smuggled Items Retrieved

No fewer than 11 balloons transporting numerous containers of illegal tobacco products have been collected so far, though additional discoveries are expected, according to customs agents.

International Illegal Trade

While creating issues, officials emphasized that "Balloons with contraband - Belarusian smoking products - are not unusual in neighboring countries."

Since January, 544 balloons have been recorded entering Lithuania from Belarus, while 966 were recorded last year.

Regional Consequences

Meanwhile, the north-eastern Podlaskie region, which also borders Belarus, has documented over one hundred incidents in which contraband was flown from its neighbor using the weather devices.

Illegal Transport Methods

When questioned about why smugglers utilize a method that is highly susceptible to weather factors rather than easier to manage drones, authorities explained that "Meteorological balloons are rudimentary tools used by contraband transporters - they are more economical than drones for moving tobacco products from Belarus."

Law Enforcement Objectives

Authorities continued that "The objective of our agencies is to seize the largest possible quantities of contraband and to detain organisers and perpetrators so that this activity become economically unsustainable and do not pose risk to civil aviation."

European Tensions

These airspace violations occur during a time of heightened tension in Europe following various aerial device infiltrations that have caused air traffic disruption across the continent.

Parallel situations in adjacent nations have prompted European leaders to speed up talks about strengthening air defences throughout the region.