A hot air balloon landed in the small village of Olszewo, Bocki gmina, Podlaskie Voivodeship, Poland, with a suspicious package attached. According to preliminary police reports, it contained illegal cigarettes. A similar object was discovered in Białystok, the regional capital, marking the second such incident in Poland in the past few days. Both incidents occurred at a significant distance from the Belarusian border—Olszewo is more than thirty kilometers away—highlighting the unexpectedness and sophistication of such smuggling methods.

Police officers quickly cordoned off the balloon landing sites and began inspecting the cargo, confirming the presence of thousands of packs of counterfeit Belarusian-made products. According to police, these devices are meteorological balloons adapted for transporting prohibited goods, and their use is increasing amid stricter border controls. Several days ago, during a major series of launches from Belarus, more than twenty such balloons crossed the border, but a significant number were intercepted by Lithuanian border guards, who seized a total of twelve thousand packs of cigarettes. One of the balloons did reach Poland and landed in the town of Ozhynnik, near Białystok, where local residents reported the discovery to authorities.