Latvia has discovered a secret 10-metre tunnel containing migrants on the border with Belarus. PHOTO
An underground tunnel has been discovered for the first time in a border area of Latvia, through which 15 migrants entered the country illegally from Belarus. In response to the incident, Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs announced the launch of a large-scale operation, ‘Perevert’, from 11 August to counter cross-border threats.
This was reported by Delfi, as relayed by Censor.NET.
Migrants in the tunnel
It is reported that the incident took place in Skrudalina parish in the Augšdaugava district — the underground tunnel was discovered just 10 metres from the fence.
According to the State Border Guard, 15 people were detained whilst attempting to cross the border illegally. The migrants were returned to Belarus.
The Latvian State Border Guard emphasises that this is the first recorded instance of a tunnel being used to cross the Latvian border illegally — no similar incidents have previously occurred in this area.
Launch of Operation ‘Perevert’
Last month in Latvia, border guards used tear gas and fired warning shots at migrants who were also attempting to cross from Belarus.
During a press conference, Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs acknowledged that previous border security measures had suffered due to a lack of coordination between different agencies. To rectify these shortcomings, Operation ‘Vilkatis’ officially began in the country on 11 August, bringing together the efforts of the Border Guard, the National Armed Forces (the army) and the State Police.
"Whilst trying to establish more precisely how they entered our country, we discovered this hidden tunnel — the first of its kind in Latvia so far. The operation is already underway and involves targeted, coordinated actions to combat border violations. Its aim is not simply to combat illegal immigration, but to strike at all points of entry and neutralise it," the minister emphasised.
He noted that this is also a matter of the security of the European Union’s external border.
- As part of Operation "Vilkatis", Latvia also plans to cooperate more closely with Lithuania, Estonia and Poland to counter illegal border crossings and secondary migration.
