Three people found after illegal border crossing in Jēkabpils region, aided by dog and drone

On Monday, September 7, State Police stopped a Mercedes Benz car driven by a Polish citizen in the Ābeļi parish of the Jēkabpils region. During the stop, six people reportedly fled the vehicle and ran into a nearby forest.

Police immediately launched a search operation, deploying a dog handler with a service dog and a drone. The search led to the discovery of three individuals who had no valid travel documents, visas, or residence permits. According to the State Border Guard, these three had previously crossed the Belarus-Latvia border illegally.

Criminal case opened

A criminal case has been initiated against the driver of the vehicle under the Criminal Law provision covering the illegal transport of people across the state border during a period of enhanced border protection. The offense carries a prison sentence of two to ten years, with or without confiscation of property, and may include probationary supervision for up to three years. The three individuals found were prevented from illegally crossing the border in accordance with the State Border Guard Law.

Operation "Vilkatis"

The incident is linked to the broader border security operation "Vilkatis," launched on August 11 to secure Latvia's eastern border in response to the hybrid threat of instrumentalized illegal migration from Belarus. The operation aims to significantly reduce illegal border crossings in eastern Latvia and prevent future incidents.

The State Border Guard reports that it has already opened 140 criminal cases this year against 108 people over illegal transport of persons and facilitating illegal stays in the country. Previous cases have resulted in severe prison sentences, including four years and six months in one case and six years and one month in another. The Border Guard urges the public not to get involved in criminal activity related to the onward movement of illegal border crossers within the European Union.