The incident on the weekend came as Lithuania and other European countries are on high alert following alleged Russian drone and jet intrusions.

A total of 25 meteorological balloons entered Lithuania from Belarus, leading to an extended closure of Vilnius Airport, the BBC reports.

Lithuanian authorities have recovered nearly half of the balloons — as well as their payload of 18,000 packs of cigarettes.

“Balloons with contraband cargo — cigarettes from Belarus — are nothing new in Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland,” a spokesperson for the National Crisis Management Centre (NCMC) said.

“Our services’ aim is to seize the largest possible quantities of contraband and to detain organisers and perpetrators so that this activity is unprofitable and does not pose a risk to civil aviation.”