Two hot air balloons loaded with smuggled cigarettes detonated after contacting power lines in central Lithuania on Wednesday, October 21, and police retrieved almost 20,000 packs of the suspected contraband from the two locations.
Lithuania's fire and rescue service said the events happened in the Kėdainiai and Kaišiadorys districts within a 24-hour span.
The first blast took place at roughly 6 a.m. in Padotnuvys village, Kėdainiai district. Fire crews were called to a fire on Draugystės Street, initially believing a streetlight had exploded.
Responders soon realized a balloon used for cigarette smuggling had hit the power lines and burst, leaving burning debris along the roadside.
Police later discovered ten rope-tied packages on the road, which they estimated contained about 15,000 packs of the suspected contraband. No suspects have been identified, and the evidence was turned over to Lithuania's State Border Guard Service.
Modestas Tvaravičius, head of the Dotnuva District, told the local outlet Rinkos aikštė that this was the first incident of its kind in the area. He added the balloon likely landed on a farmer's field, though he has not yet spoken with the landowner.
The second explosion occurred at around 11 p.m. in Šakniai village, Kaišiadorys district, after residents reported a blast and fire in a field.
Firefighters found another cigarette-smuggling balloon that had struck power lines and ignited. Authorities recovered roughly 4,900 packs of the suspected contraband.
Together, the two events led to the seizure of about 19,900 packs of cigarettes.
