Border guards stop two Afghans attempting flight from Kaunas to Italy

Lithuania’s State Border Guard Service says officers at Kaunas Airport detained two Afghan nationals who tried to fly illegally to Pisa, Italy, LRT reported.

The two initially presented identity cards that appeared to be forged and identified them as Bulgarian and Greek nationals aged 25 and 28, respectively. Border guards suspected the cards were fake because their materials and printed details did not meet document standards, the service said.

The passengers struggled to communicate in English and could not complete forms in Bulgarian or Greek. They later said they were Afghan nationals aged 22 and 21. Photos of Afghan passports on their phones supported their claims, according to the service.

The two had applied for asylum in Lithuania but left a migrant accommodation facility in Vilnius without permission before their applications had been processed, the service said.

Two pretrial investigations into possession of forged identity documents have been opened by the Vilnius Border Guard Unit. The detainees are being held in custody. The offence carries a fine, restriction of liberty or a prison sentence of up to four years.