Two men were detained for attempting to smuggle cigarettes to Poland using drones
The State Border Service detained a father and son in the Lviv region who were trying to smuggle a batch of cigarettes to Poland using drones. The incident occurred near the town of Mostyska, just 7 kilometers from the state border.
The two individuals, local residents, tried to send 2,850 packs of cigarettes without excise stamps abroad using three UAVs of the “plane” type. According to border guards, the men hid cigarettes in a stash they set up and avoided meetings with law enforcement officers.
When discovered by the border guards, the men attempted to flee, leaving behind their vehicle, equipment, and cigarettes. The son was detained immediately, and the father was later found thanks to a night vision drone. Three drones, 23 batteries, a laptop, a remote control, flash drives with GPS routes, and other equipment were seized on the spot.
A criminal case has been opened on this fact, but the specifics of the article are not provided.
This is not an isolated incident of illegal activities using drones. For example, in Volyn in February 2024, law enforcement officers shot down a drone carrying 22.5 kg of hashish worth 13 million hryvnias.
| Number of cigarettes: | 2,850 packs |
| Distance to border: | 7 km |
| Drones used: | 3 UAVs |
| Number of batteries: | 23 |
