On Wednesday, July 23, as a result of operational measures, border guards, in cooperation with officials of the State Police and the Bauska Municipality Police, detained a person in Bauska Municipality, who was transporting persons who had illegally crossed the state border.
While verifying information about the illegal transportation of persons across the State border, border guards detected a suspicious minibus near the Latvian–Belarusian State border. At the same time, during border inspection, the border guards discovered signs indicating that several persons had illegally crossed the State border from Belarus to Latvia. As a result of search operations, it was determined that the group had proceeded to a nearby dirt road, where their tracks disappeared. Through operational measures, the border guards identified the minibus in which the persons, who had illegally crossed the border, could have boarded and tracked their route in the direction of Riga. This information was immediately forwarded to officials of the Latgale and Zemgale Regional Boards of the State Police.
The State Police received information that a Renault vehicle is traveling from Augšdaugava Municipality in the direction of Aizkraukle Municipality, possibly carrying persons, who had illegally crossed the State border.
At around 9:25 a.m., a Bauska Municipality Police patrol noticed a vehicle matching the description and gave an order to stop it, using special sound and light signals, as well as a loudspeaker. However, the driver did not comply with the order and began to flee, rapidly increasing speed.
On the road section Vecumnieki–Nereta–Subate, in Kurmene Parish, the driver lost control of the vehicle and drove off the road into a ditch. Seven persons were detained at the scene – the transporter, a Latvian citizen, and six persons of Asian origin. All persons were handed over to the State Border Guard.
Criminal proceedings were initiated against the “carrier” under Article 285(1)3) of the Criminal Law for ensuring a large number of persons, the possibility to reside illegally in the Republic of Latvia.
Four persons were stopped from illegally crossing the State border in accordance with Section 4 of the State Border Guard Law, while two persons were admitted for humanitarian reasons.