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Weather balloons transporting a large quantity of cigarettes have disrupted flights in Lithuania, as Vilnius Airport was forced to close for hours when numerous of them entered the airspace of Lithuania.

Air Travel Interruptions

The airport closure led to thirty canceled flights affecting six thousand travelers, with officials warning that further disruptions were possible throughout Monday.

National Security Measures

Officials confirmed that twenty-five weather balloons were spotted infiltrating Lithuania from the adjacent country of Belarus, with two of which ending up directly over the aviation facility.

As many as 14 of the meteorological devices launched over the weekend drifted across the capital region, which is the location of Lithuania's main urban center and near the Belarusian boundary.

Contraband Recovery

No fewer than 11 balloons transporting 18,000 packs of illegal tobacco products have now been retrieved, though this number could rise, according to customs agents.

International Illegal Trade

While creating issues, officials emphasized that "Meteorological equipment transporting smuggled items - cigarettes from Belarus - are nothing new in Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland."

So far this year, over five hundred weather devices have been observed infiltrating Lithuania from Belarus, while nearly a thousand were documented the previous year.

Regional Consequences

At the same time, the north-eastern Polish territory, which also borders Belarus, has registered in excess of numerous instances in which illegal goods were transported from its adjacent country employing the weather devices.

Illegal Transport Methods

Regarding inquiries concerning why criminals use a technique that proves particularly vulnerable to weather conditions rather than easier to manage drones, representatives elaborated that "Atmospheric equipment are basic instruments used by smugglers - they are cheaper than drones for transporting cigarettes from Belarus."

Security Service Goals

Authorities continued that "Our services' aim is to seize the largest possible amounts of illegal goods and to apprehend coordinators and involved individuals so that this activity become unprofitable and create minimal risk to commercial air travel."

International Concerns

Such border infiltrations occur during a time of growing anxiety in Europe following multiple unmanned aircraft violations that have caused air traffic disruption across the region.

Similar occurrences in adjacent nations have caused EU officials to speed up talks about strengthening air defences throughout the continent.