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Lithuanian Border Guards Spot Underground Smuggling Route Dug From Belarus
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Lithuanian border guards detected an unfinished 4-meter underground tunnel dug from Belarus beneath a border fence at a depth of 1.5 meters near Latežeris village in Druskininkai municipality.
The total number of subterranean crossing attempts into Lithuania to 12 since the beginning of 2026, according to The State Border Guard Service of Lithuania (VSAT) on August 5.
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VSAT identified the secret passage using specialized equipment provided by Polish border authorities. The passage was reinforced with logs and wooden planks, while its entrance on the Belarusian side was concealed using camouflage fabric.
Because construction was incomplete, migrants were unable to use the route to cross into Lithuanian territory, and border officials filled in the passage following standard legal procedures.
This finding marks the third tunnel uncovered by the Varėna border unit in recent weeks. On July 23, officers found a 5-meter tunnel near Pješčiai, and on July 26, they located an 11-meter incomplete structure equipped with logs, buckets, and dug-out sand near Pertakas.
Lithuanian law penalizes illegal border crossing with fines, arrest, or up to two years in prison. In response to ongoing security challenges, Lithuania plans to relocate its strategic reserve stocks of food, fuel, and other critical supplies away from the Belarusian frontier to safer interior regions by 2027.
Neighboring Latvia also previously shut its border with Belarus due to technical reasons.
Previously, Lithuania planned to move its civil defense reserves, which were stored near the border with Belarus, to safer locations by 2027.
By April 2026, 60% of the supplies from border facilities had already been moved to central Lithuania, while reserves under the Fire and Rescue Department were scheduled to be transferred in 2027 following the construction of two new storage facilities in the central and northern regions.
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