Smugglers Caught Using Weather Balloons

Polish border guards detained two people who had used weather balloons to smuggle cigarettes from Belarus, reports TVP World.

The suspects had attempted to flee and were found with 1,500 packs of illegal cigarettes worth close to PLN24,500 (€6,377).

On the same day, border guards in Nowy Dwor found another similar package containing illicit cigarettes worth over PLN23,000 along with the remains of a weather balloon fitted with a tracker.

Additional balloons were found with packages of cigarettes valued at a combined PLN67,000.

In the wake of enhanced security measures, including a steel barrier and thermal imaging, along the border between Poland and Belarus, cigarette smugglers have been looking for new ways to move contraband into the European Union.