RIGA, June 25 (LETA) - During the holiday weekend, border guards in the Augsdaugava municipality and Daugavpils detained nine offenders who were transporting individuals after they had crossed the state border illegally, the Border Guard informed LETA.

On Sunday, June 21, in Demene parish, border guards stopped a Mercedes minibus for inspection; it was driven by a French citizen, and another French citizen was sitting next to him. When the minibus stopped, seven people fled into the woods.

Border guards launched a search and found these individuals, who were without valid travel documents. It turned out that they had illegally crossed the Belarus-Latvia border.

Near the scene of the incident, border guards stopped a Mazda registered in the United Kingdom, in which they found two Latvian citizens linked to the smuggling of illegal migrants.

On Monday, June 22, State Police officers in Saliena parish stopped a Ford for inspection, which was being driven by a Latvian citizen. Upon inspecting the vehicle, three people were found inside the vehicle without valid travel documents, visas, or residence permits, who had previously crossed the Belarus-Latvia border illegally.

During an interview with the driver, it was determined that four more people were at his residence. Upon checking the address, border guards found them in a shed.

On Tuesday, June 23, State Police officials received a report of a traffic accident in Daugavpils. At the scene, it was discovered that five people had fled from a Volkswagen driven by a Polish citizen following the collision. Border guards began searching for the individuals and, shortly thereafter, together with Estonian border guards assisting the State Border Guard, they found five people without valid travel documents who had illegally crossed the Belarus-Latvia border.

Early Wednesday morning, June 24, border guards in Laucese parish stopped a Citroen minivan for inspection; it was driven by an Estonian citizen, with an Armenian citizen sitting next to him. Inside the vehicle, border guards found 21 people without valid travel documents, visas, or residence permits, all of whom had previously crossed the Belarus-Latvia border illegally.

A few hours later, in Demene parish, border guards began pursuing a Volkswagen driven by a Turkish citizen. When the car stopped, five people fled on foot, but they too were later tracked down and detained.

Criminal proceedings have been initiated against the smugglers under Section 285, Paragraph 31, of the Criminal Law for the illegal transportation of persons across the state border, as well as under Section 2851, Paragraph 2, of the Criminal Law for knowingly providing a person with the opportunity to reside illegally in Latvia. Two French citizens and one Polish citizen have been placed in custody.

The 45 people being transported were returned to the Belarusian border.

The State Border Guard has already initiated 89 criminal proceedings this year against 77 individuals for the illegal transportation of persons and/or facilitating their illegal stay in Latvia, 26 of which were spun off from previously initiated criminal proceedings.

The reinforced border security regime is in force in Ludza and the parishes of Ludza municipality, Kraslava and the parishes of Kraslava municipality, Augsdaugava municipality, Daugavpils, and the Kaunata parish in Rezekne municipality.

Latvian authorities consider attempts by Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko's regime to push migrants across Latvian, Lithuanian, and Polish borders to be methods of hybrid warfare targeting these countries.