Latvian citizen detained in Lithuania for smuggling four Afghan migrants

A Latvian woman has been arrested in Kalvarija, Lithuania, after border guards discovered her transporting four Afghan migrants—one hidden in the trunk—toward Poland, state broadcaster LRT reports.

The incident unfolded on Sunday when an off-duty officer from the State Border Guard Service (VSAT) noticed a Latvian-registered Peugeot 307 parked in Kalvarija. The driver, a 62-year-old Latvian citizen, presented valid identification, but the three men in the backseat—aged 21, 22, and 43—had no documents and identified themselves as Afghan nationals. A fourth man, 27, was found lying in the trunk.

Authorities confirmed the migrants’ identities using passport photos stored on their phones. The driver admitted she had agreed to transport them to the Lithuanian-Polish border for €850 per person. Preliminary reports suggest the group flew from Afghanistan to Belarus, crossed into Latvia illegally, and planned to reach Germany via Lithuania and Poland.

A pre-trial investigation has been launched by Kaunas Regional Prosecutor’s Office for human smuggling, which carries a penalty of up to eight years in prison. The driver remains in custody, while the migrants were transferred to the Foreigners’ Registration Centre in Pabradė. Lithuanian border guards will return them to Latvian authorities after processing.

A decision on pretrial detention for the Latvian woman is expected Tuesday.