On Thursday, May 7, after a pursuit and the use of a firearm, border guards in Augšdaugava Municipality detained a “carrier” of persons who had illegally crossed the State border. Three more “carriers” were detained in Krāslava and Preiļi Municipalities. Sixteen persons were prevented from illegally crossing the State border.
While carrying out operational measures, border guards used the special light signals of a service vehicle and a baton to order the driver of a Škoda vehicle to stop, indicating the location where the vehicle should stop. However, the driver ignored the lawful demands of the border guards and continued driving. Border guards repeatedly ordered the vehicle to stop over a loudspeaker in three languages, but the driver did not respond. The person also ignored warnings about the possible use of a firearm and continued fleeing, so the border guards fired warning shots into the air. Several border guard and State Police patrols were engaged to provide support. As a result, in Maļinova Parish of Augšdaugava Municipality, border guards caught up the vehicle, but the driver abandoned the car and attempted to flee. Shortly afterward, the border guards caught and detained the driver — a Moldovan citizen. Upon inspecting the vehicle, it was found that seven persons of Asian origin without valid travel documents, visas, or residence permits were located inside the passenger compartment and luggage area of the car.
Meanwhile, State Police officials stopped a Volkswagen vehicle in Andrupene Parish, Krāslava Municipality, in which two “carriers” — citizens of India — were found. During an inspection of the vehicle, three people of Asian origin without valid travel documents, visas, or residence permits were found inside the passenger compartment.
Also, on the morning of Friday, May 8, national guardsmen noticed a suspicious vehicle making uncertain maneuvers on the road. The national guardsmen tracked the car until State Police officers stopped it on a road in Preiļi Municipality. It was established that the vehicle was being driven by a Belarusian citizen. Upon inspecting the car, six people of Asian origin without valid travel documents, visas, or residence permits were found inside.
Criminal proceedings were initiated against the Moldovan and Belarusian citizens under Section 285, Paragraph 3¹ of the Criminal Law for the illegal transportation of persons across the State border, committed during a period of enhanced border security measures or a State of emergency declared due to a threat to the inviolability of the State border, regardless of where in the territory of Latvia the offence was committed. Likewise, criminal proceedings were initiated against the Moldovan citizen under Section 15, Paragraph 4 of the Criminal Law, which defines an attempted crime as a conscious act (failure to act) which is directly dedicated to intentional commission of a crime, shall be considered to be an attempted crime if the crime has not been completed for reasons independent of the will of the guilty party. Criminal proceedings were also initiated against the Indian citizens under Section 285.1, Paragraph 2 for knowingly providing a person with the possibility to illegally stay in the Republic of Latvia, if such a possibility was provided to two or more persons.
Sixteen persons were prevented from illegally crossing the State border in accordance with Section 4 of the State Border Guard Law.
The State Border Guard once again calls on residents not to engage in illegal activities and reminds that severe penalties are prescribed for such involvement. For organizing or supporting the illegal transportation of persons, offenders may be punished with imprisonment for a term of two to ten years, with or without confiscation of property, and with probation supervision for a period of up to three years or without it.