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UPDATE: Polish security services track Belarusian balloons after cigarette smuggling finds

17.01.2026 13:42
The National Security Bureau (BBN) reported on Saturday, 17 January, that the Polish President has been kept continuously informed of the developments and their potential implications.
Two smuggling balloons carrying large quantities of untaxed cigarettes were discovered overnight in north-eastern Poland near the border with Belarus, prompting police to warn the public and highlighting a long-running cross-border smuggling route.
Two smuggling balloons carrying large quantities of untaxed cigarettes were discovered overnight in north-eastern Poland near the border with Belarus, prompting police to warn the public and highlighting a long-running cross-border smuggling route. Photo courtesy of the Polish police in north-eastern Poland

Polish authorities are closely monitoring the situation after dozens of objects, including the recently discovered smuggling balloons, entered Polish airspace from Belarus overnight.

BBN confirmed on social media that it monitored the events throughout the night, collecting and analysing information from both military and civilian agencies.

Officials noted that, as in a similar incident on 24–25 December 2025 - when 59 objects entered Polish airspace from Belarus - the current episode could represent a provocation disguised as smuggling activity.

Authorities urged the public to follow official updates from the police and border guard, and warned that any suspicious items, packages, or debris potentially linked to these incidents should not be approached or touched, with any findings reported immediately to emergency services.

This update comes in the wake of Friday night’s discovery of two balloons carrying large quantities of untaxed cigarettes in north-eastern Poland, near Białystok and in rural Sokółka County, which authorities believe were launched from Belarus. 

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Source: IAR/BBN/X/@podlaskaPolicja