Border Guard intercepts illegal cigarette packages smuggled via weather balloons from Belarus; National Security Bureau monitors situation.
Border Guard Seizes Smuggled Cigarettes
Podlaskie Border Guard officers found more packages containing illegal cigarettes. “They were smuggled from Belarus to Poland using weather balloons,” wrote the Border Guard on Saturday, January 17. Services began actions to identify the persons involved in sending and receiving the shipments.
Shortly afterward, the officers published another entry. “More illegal shipments containing cigarettes in the hands of the Border Guard,” it was reported.
National Security Bureau Monitoring Situation
The National Security Bureau issued a statement on this matter. “President of the Republic of Poland Karol Nawrocki is being regularly informed by the head of the BBN Minister Sławomir Cenckiewicz about the course and consequences of the nighttime entry of dozens of objects from the territory of Belarus,” wrote the BBN.
As noted, services monitored the event throughout the night and collected and analyzed information provided by both military and civilian institutions.
Possible Provocation Under Guise of Smuggling
“As in the case of the event on the night of December 24-25, 2025, when 59 objects entered Polish airspace from the Belarusian direction, the BBN does not rule out that we are dealing with a provocation under the guise of smuggling activities,” wrote the BBN and appealed to follow communications from the police and Border Guard.
In case of finding objects or debris that may be related to the indicated activity, one should not approach them. Instead, the relevant services should be notified about the matter.
