Riga, Nov 3 (LETA) - Last Friday, border guards detained a Latvian non-citizen for transporting 13 illegal migrants in Augsdaugava municipality, the State Border Guard informed LETA.

Border guards stopped a Volkswagen Multivan minibus with a trailer driven by a Latvian national in Tabore municipality. During an inspection of the vehicle and the trailer, border guards found 13 Asian-looking people without residence permits in the trailer.

Criminal proceedings have been opened against the carrier for providing a large number of persons with the possibility to stay illegally in Latvia.

The 13 trespassers were returned to the border with Belarus.

As reported, so far this year, border guards have prevented attempts by 11,234 people to illegally enter Latvia from Belarus, while 30 persons have been let into the country on humanitarian grounds this year.

Last year, 5,388 people were stopped from crossing the border illegally and 26 were admitted on humanitarian grounds.

The government has extended the reinforced surveillance regime along Latvia's border with Belarus until December 31, 2025.

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.