Over the weekend, in the Krāslava Municipality, border guards, in cooperation with soldiers of the National Armed Forces, detained two “carriers”, who were transporting persons, who had illegally crossed Latvia’s State border.
On Friday, August 28, soldiers of the National Armed Forces, together with Finnish border guards, who are providing support to the State Border Guard, stopped a Ford vehicle in Skaista Parish. The vehicle was driven by a Latvian citizen. During the inspection of the vehicle, four persons were found in the passenger compartment and luggage compartment without valid travel documents, visas, or residence permits. These persons had previously illegally crossed the Belarus–Latvia State border.
In addition, a breath alcohol test carried out on the driver showed that the person was under the influence of alcohol, with a blood alcohol concentration of 2.67per mille.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, August 30, while processing operational information about five persons, who had illegally crossed the State border and their possible transporter, who was on his way to pick them up, border guards, in cooperation with officials of the National Armed Forces, stopped a Volvo vehicle in Robežnieki Parish. The vehicle was driven by an Estonian citizen.
During a search of the surrounding area, a dog handler of the State Border Guard, accompanied by a service dog, detected five persons in Skaista Parish, who did not have valid travel documents, visas, or residence permits. These individuals had previously illegally crossed the Belarus–Latvia State border. During a search of the surrounding area, a dog handler of the State Border Guard, accompanied by a service dog, detected five persons in Skaista Parish, who did not have valid travel documents, visas, or residence permits. These individuals had previously illegally crossed the Belarus–Latvia State border.
Criminal proceedings were initiated against the “carriers” under Section 285, Paragraph 3¹ of the Criminal Law for the illegal transportation of persons across the State border, if committed during the enhanced border surveillance regime or during 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 offense was committed. As well as against the Latvian citizen under Section 262, Paragraph 1.1 of the Criminal Law for driving a vehicle when the alcohol concentration detected in the exhaled air or blood exceeds 1.5 per mille. Meanwhile, the Estonian citizen is subject to Section 15, Paragraph 4 of the Criminal Law, which defines an attempt to commit a crime as an intentional act (or omission) directly aimed at deliberately committing the crime, where the crime is not completed for reasons beyond the offender’s control.
The Latvian citizen was placed in custody as a preventive measure.
The nine persons were prevented from illegally crossing the State border in accordance with Article 4 of the State Border Guard Law.
To ensure the security of Latvia’s eastern border, Operation “VILKATIS” began on August 11. It is a targeted and coordinated Latvian response to the hybrid threat posed by the instrumentalization of illegal migration from Belarus. Its aim is to significantly reduce the number of illegal border crossings in the eastern part of Latvia and to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.
The State Border Guard has already initiated 135 criminal proceedings this year for the illegal transportation of persons and/or providing persons with the opportunity to stay illegally in Latvia (of which 52 were separated from previously initiated criminal proceedings) against 105 persons. For the aforementioned actions, individuals are subject to severe prison sentences. For example, in one case, a person was sentenced to 4 years and 6 months in prison; in another case, to 6 years and 1 month.
The State Border Guard urges persons to refrain from engaging in any criminal activities related to organizing or facilitating the onward movement (transport by motor vehicle) within the European Union of persons who have illegally crossed the State border.
The sanction provided for under the relevant section of the Criminal Law stipulates a lengthy prison sentence of 2 to 10 years for the unlawful transportation of persons across the State border, as well as for organizing and carrying out other criminal activities related to illegal migration to the Republic of Latvia. The sentence may include confiscation of property or may be imposed without property confiscation, and may also include probation supervision for a period of up to three years or without it.