How border guards search for underground tunnels near Belarus border
A geodesy expert explains that ground-penetrating radar is the most effective way to detect migrant-dug tunnels near the Latvia-Belarus border, where two such tunnels were already found in August.
Edgars Pinkovskis, head of geodesy company Geomatic, told the LETA news agency about the technology most commonly used to detect underground tunnels near the Latvia-Belarus border. According to him, ground-penetrating radar is one of the most reliable tools for such searches, provided it is operated by a properly trained specialist. He noted that other methods of examining what lies beneath the ground are considerably more difficult.
Pinkovskis suggested that additional monitoring methods could also be used, such as sensitive microphones capable of picking up sounds coming from the soil, or vibration sensors. However, he stressed that the choice of specific instruments depends heavily on how deep the tunnels are, and that depth is currently unknown.
Radar versus sensors
The expert pointed to a key difference between the two approaches: ground-penetrating radar can determine whether a tunnel has already been dug at a given location, while sensors function more as an early-warning system that could signal ongoing digging activity.
Background
In August, two tunnels used by illegal migrants were already discovered near the Latvia-Belarus border. In response, operation "Vilkatis" was launched on August 11 to reduce cases of illegal border crossing in eastern Latvia and prevent them from recurring. The State Border Guard, working with the State Police, has also begun scanning soil layers with ground-penetrating radar along the border to search for possible undiscovered tunnels. An enhanced border security regime remains in effect in the Belarus border area until the end of the year, introduced in response to the migration pressure created by Belarus.
