On Wednesday, October 8, border guards in Balvi Municipality detained a Cuban citizen who illegally crossed the state border from the Russian side.
Upon verifying the received information, border guards in Žīguri Parish identified a Cuban citizen who had illegally crossed the state border from the Russian side.
An inspection of the scene revealed that the border fence had been bent from the bottom toward the Latvian territory.
Criminal proceedings were initiated against the person under Section 284(1) of the Criminal Law for intentional illegal crossing of the external State border.
The person has also been held administratively liable for non-compliance with Section 18(1)(1) of the State Border Law, which stipulates that persons from the age of 15 years, when staying in the borderland, shall need a special permit issued by the State Border Guard except cases when the person who has declared his or her place of residence in the borderland is residing in the borderland of the relevant municipality (town) or the adjoining municipality (town); for non-compliance with Section 37 which stipulates that for the damaging, destruction, modification or movement of a State border sign, securing structure or element, or the technical means of border checks and border surveillance a fine of up to two hundred units of fine shall be imposed and for non-compliance with Section 14(1)(1) which stipulates that persons are prohibited from staying in the State border zone, except when it is connected with border surveillance.
This is already the second case within a week in which the State border has been illegally crossed in this manner from the Russian side. It has already been reported that on Tuesday, October 7, in the Ludza Municipality, border guards detained a Russian citizen who had illegally crossed the state border from the Russian side.