Georgian nationals arrested for smuggling 15 undocumented migrants in Lithuania

Lithuanian law enforcement officers, in collaboration with border guards, apprehended two Georgian citizens in the Ukmergė district for allegedly smuggling 15 undocumented migrants. The operation unfolded on Wednesday morning after authorities received intelligence from the VSAT Vilnius Border District's Criminal Intelligence Department.

Acting on the tip, police officers attempted to stop a Polish-registered "Opel Vivaro" van near the village of Kurėnai. The driver immediately fled the scene. A subsequent inspection of the vehicle revealed 15 men inside who lacked identification documents confirming their nationality or identity. Three of the men identified themselves as citizens of Afghanistan, while the remaining twelve stated they were from Pakistan.

Information about the fleeing driver was relayed to another police unit. Within minutes, officers stopped a Lithuanian-registered "VW Passat" on a road near the village of Rečioniai. The driver of this vehicle matched the description of the "Opel Vivaro" driver, and another Georgian national was found in the passenger seat. Both individuals were detained and taken to the Vilnius Border District's temporary detention facility.

The undocumented foreign nationals were handed over to officials from the Migration Department for processing and were subsequently returned to Latvia. An investigation into illegal human smuggling for mercenary purposes has been initiated by the VSAT Vilnius Border District, with the Vilnius Regional Prosecutor's Office overseeing the case. Prosecutors have requested pre-trial detention for the suspects, who face potential penalties of fines or imprisonment of up to eight years.

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The information about the fleeing driver was passed on to another police crew, which, just a few minutes later on the road near Rečioniai village, stopped a Lithuanian-registered 'VW Passat'.