Border guards from Lithuania’s State Border Guard Service (VSAT) have discovered a 25-meter-long underground tunnel on the border with Belarus, which may have been used for smuggling.
The tunnel was discovered near the village of Pašalcis, Giedrius Mišutis, an adviser to VSAT, confirmed to LRT.lt but refrained from providing more details.
“As a pre-trial investigation has been opened, we are coordinating all the details with the Prosecutor’s Office. We will shortly publish a report with all the details,” Mišutis said.
The village of Pašalčis, where the tunnel was found, is part of an emergency zone declared on Lithuania’s border with Belarus in 2021, following an influx of irregular migrants, and is only accessible to people with special permits.
The entire border with Belarus is covered by a surveillance system, including cameras at the site where the tunnel was discovered.
Last year, the use of weather balloons to smuggle illegal goods became particularly popular. This year, Lithuanian border guards have already intercepted 20,000 packets of smuggled cigarettes.
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