Lithuanian border guards detain 18 migrants who crawled into country through tunnel from Belarus

Lithuanian border guards have apprehended 18 undocumented migrants who entered the country through a tunnel dug from the Belarusian side, state border guard service VSAT reported on Friday.

According to VSAT, officers from the Kabeliai border checkpoint in Varėna district detected the group via surveillance systems late Tuesday night. The migrants—all young men—emerged from the tunnel and attempted to flee into nearby forests before being intercepted by patrols, including canine units.

Seventeen of the detainees identified themselves as Afghan citizens, though only three possessed passports. The remaining 14 carried no identification. A single individual claimed to be a citizen of Sri Lanka, also without documents. After individual assessments confirmed no immediate threats to the men, authorities returned all 18 to Belarus under legal procedures.

In a separate incident near the same border area, officers stopped a Lithuanian-registered Audi A6 driven by a 41-year-old Ukrainian man, with a 33-year-old Ukrainian woman as passenger. Preliminary findings suggest the pair—both legally present in Lithuania—had arrived to collect seven migrants who had earlier crossed into the country. The Ukrainians were detained, and Kaunas Regional Prosecutor’s Office has launched a pre-trial investigation into suspected illegal transport of persons across the state border, an offense punishable by fines or up to eight years’ imprisonment.

This marks the second tunnel crossing attempt this year, following a similar case in Vilnius district on April 6. VSAT notes that such tunnels are dug with the knowledge of Belarusian authorities. Migrants attempting to enter Lithuania from Belarus are predominantly men aged 20–40, described as physically fit and often aggressive in avoiding contact with border guards.

Since January, Lithuania has recorded 731 attempts at irregular border crossings from Belarus, alongside 146 into Poland and 2,475 into Latvia.