Two migrants turn back after trying to enter Lithuania through culvert

Two suspected migrants from Belarus tried to enter Lithuania through a stream culvert in Druskininkai municipality but returned to Belarus after seeing a metal gate and approaching border guards, LRT reported.

Border guards from the Kabeliai checkpoint detected the two people on a video surveillance system before noon on Tuesday, according to the State Border Guard Service. The migrants entered a culvert about 2.8 metres in diameter through which the Kusenka stream flows from Belarus.

They were carrying metal shears and are suspected of intending to cut through a metal gate at the culvert’s end. They remained inside for just over a minute before leaving for Belarus. The service said they may have realised they could not get through the sturdy gate with the shears, or heard border guards’ vehicles approaching.

Officers from the Kabeliai and Druskininkai checkpoints inspected the gate and used a service drone to check the surrounding area. They found no further violations.

This year, Lithuanian border guards have prevented 1,695 attempts by migrants to enter the country from Belarus at unauthorised locations.