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Balloons carrying smuggled cigarettes over Lithuania closed Vilnius Airport for hours
CNN ^ | Oct 5, 2025 | Associated Press

Posted on 10/05/2025 4:57:52 PM PDT by McGruff

Up to 25 small hot-air balloons, some of them confirmed to be carrying smuggled cigarettes, entered Lithuanian airspace late Saturday and forced the shutdown of Vilnius Airport, delaying flights for hours, authorities said.

The balloons interfered with 30 flights, impacting some 6,000 passengers, according to Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Center. Flights resumed at 4:50 a.m. Sunday (9:50 p.m. ET, Saturday).

Two of the balloons flew above Vilnius Airport, according to spokesperson Darius Buta. More than two dozen reached the wider Vilnius County. The balloons were recorded flying between roughly 8:45 p.m. Saturday and 4:30 a.m. Sunday.

Border police recovered 11 balloons and some 18,000 packs of smuggled cigarettes in various locations, Buta told The Associated Press.

(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Weird Stuff
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1 posted on 10/05/2025 4:57:52 PM PDT by McGruff
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To: McGruff

Well now there is a new one. lol


2 posted on 10/05/2025 5:00:16 PM PDT by Openurmind (AI - An Illusion for Aptitude Intrusion to Alter Intellect. )
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To: McGruff

Sounds like this scheme went up in smokes.


3 posted on 10/05/2025 5:01:01 PM PDT by irishjuggler
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To: McGruff

Over 1600 packs, or 160 cartons of cigarettes per balloon.

A carton weighs about 250 grams.

160 cartons weighs about 40 kilograms or 90 lbs.

These are pretty good sized balloons!


4 posted on 10/05/2025 5:03:51 PM PDT by marktwain
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To: McGruff

Sounds like NYC. Nothing like getting arrested for a couple of Lucky Strikes I always say. Thank you communist Michael Bloomberg.


5 posted on 10/05/2025 5:06:29 PM PDT by Bonemaker (invictus maneo)
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To: everyone

WW III stared when balloons carrying illegal cigarettes were thought to be a Russian invasion.


6 posted on 10/05/2025 5:18:15 PM PDT by McGruff
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To: McGruff

Baloon-legging at it’s finest. No taxes or import fees. Probably should have gone with low flying drones. Lithuania could add to it’s drone invasion. :)


7 posted on 10/05/2025 5:24:03 PM PDT by foundedonpurpose (Praise Hashem, for his restoration of all things! Tyllllllllll)
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To: McGruff
Lithuania's VAT alone -- akin to our sales tax -- is 21 percent. Per pack -- not carton -- it's high. Wait for the stores from France and the UK, where the VAT and excise coe to about three times that.

Raise taxes high enough and smuggling rises. And then there was our reaction to British taxes 250+ years ago.....

8 posted on 10/05/2025 6:13:49 PM PDT by Worldtraveler once upon a time (Degrow government)
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To: McGruff

I’m almost surprised they are not claiming this was a Russian attack.


9 posted on 10/05/2025 10:31:45 PM PDT by EnderWiggin1970
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To: McGruff

Zardoz?


10 posted on 10/06/2025 4:45:14 AM PDT by Cowman
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