On Wednesday, November 5, Polish Border Guard officers discovered a drone loaded with 400 packs of Belarusian‑taxed cigarettes in Szudziałowo, Podlaskie.
Drones On Display
Border Guard officers in Szudziałowo (Sokołsky County, Podlaskie Voivodeship) received a notification on Wednesday, November 5, that a local resident had found a drone. Firefighters and police were dispatched to the scene. Inside the aircraft the officers uncovered approximately 400 packs of cigarettes, all stamped with Belarusian excise marks.
Smugglers’ Tactics
The drone was likely owned by cigarette smugglers attempting to evade border security. Since the beginning of the year the Podlaskie Border Guard division has logged 18 such incidents. Smugglers also use meteorological balloons to transport contraband, with 118 balloon‑related cases reported this year. The smuggled tobacco’s estimated value reached 3.4 million Polish zloty, and 29 individuals were arrested for their involvement.
Hybrid Threat to Lithuania
The East Europe Study Center (OSW) reports that Lithuania has also suffered from cigarette smuggling. Balloon flights have caused four stoppages of air traffic at Vilnius Airport and one at Kaunas, cancelling 140 flights and disrupting over 20,000 passengers. Consequently, Lithuania shut its last two open border crossings with Belarus—Miedniki and Soleczniki—until November 30. OSW notes that Lukashenko’s entourage has long controlled tobacco traffic, which yields significant revenue, and that smugglers can operate within defended border areas, provoking further crises with Lithuania.
Polish Response to the Balloon Crisis
Donald Tusk announced a postponement of opening border crossings with Belarus due to the balloon incidents affecting Lithuania. While crossings in Lublin Voivodeship remain open, the Prime Minister promised the opening of two crossings in Podlaskie within the coming weeks, noting that the decision was delayed to show solidarity with Lithuania and to avoid further provocations from Belarus.