Border chief says Belarus services knew of migrant tunnels

Both underground tunnels used by people to enter Latvia illegally were dug with the knowledge of Belarusian services, State Border Guard chief Guntis Pujāts told Latvian Radio’s Krustpunktā programme, LSM reported.

Pujāts said the tunnel discovered in late August was so substantial that its removal would require extensive road repairs.

Latvia has so far found two migrant tunnels, compared with 12 discovered in Lithuania, Pujāts said. He added that the number in Latvia could increase.

“I would say that we are expecting the next tunnel. There is information that one is being dug. It is a matter of time,” Pujāts said. No signs indicating where another tunnel might be under construction have been found so far.

The entrance to the tunnel discovered in late August was more than 10 metres deep on the Belarusian side of the border, concealed by forest and bushes. Pujāts said the tunnel was 0.8 metres high and wide and at least 30 metres long. About 28 cubic metres of soil had been removed, and the tunnel had substantial supports and a plywood roof.

“I am certain there were observers on the Belarusian side who reported when a patrol was approaching the border, and the work was stopped at that moment. Observers or technical equipment were monitoring it,” Pujāts said.

He said such a tunnel could not have been built without the knowledge of Belarusian border guards, particularly the second one. Pujāts suggested that Belarusian guards might have used thermal cameras to monitor whether Latvian border guards were approaching the tunnel.

After learning that tunnels had been found in Lithuania, Latvia’s border guard service also deployed dog handlers to inspect the border.

Pujāts said he was certain that nobody had successfully crossed into Latvia through either of the two tunnels. All border violators were detained immediately, on their first attempt to use the tunnels.

“We discovered these tunnels very quickly,” the border guard chief said.