On the last day of January, a man from Alytus was caught within the territory of the Čepkeliai reserve in the Varėna district, as part of an ongoing investigation into illegal possession of excise goods. The investigation is being led by a prosecutor from the Kaunas District Prosecutor's Office, who has granted the individual special witness status as the case unfolds. This suggests that the authorities are taking a keen interest in the broader implications of the smuggling ring's operations.

Border guards had prior intelligence on individuals potentially involved in air-based smuggling near the border with Belarus, and one suspect was tracked by both surveillance cameras and a police dog named Endy. This highlights the integrated approach taken by Lithuanian authorities, utilizing both technology and trained animals to counteract smuggling tactics that exploit the challenging landscape along the border area.

Due to the ongoing migrant crisis, a barbed wire and security fence have been established along the Lithuanian side of the Belarus border, whereas the Čepkeliai reserve, characterized by unstable ground and natural obstacles, lacks similar infrastructure. As a result, border guards in this region have had to rely on other measures, including a surveillance system, indicating the adaptive strategies in place to cope with the dynamic challenges of border security in the face of illicit smuggling activities.