On Monday, 7 April, the State Border Guard Service detained one Azerbaijani and one Turkish citizen for attempting to provide an illegal opportunity to stay in Latvia, the State Border Guard said in a press release.
On Monday evening, border guards on their way to their duty station in Ezernieki parish of Krāslava municipality witnessed “suspicious passengers” being picked up in a car.
When checking the documents of the driver and the passenger, it was found that both Turkish and Azerbaijani citizens were in the border lane without identity documents.
However, a search of the car revealed four Moroccan and one Algerian national in the car without valid travel documents, visas or residence permits.
During an inquiry, the border guards found out that the persons had previously illegally entered Latvia by illegally crossing the Belarus-Latvia border in Bērziņi parish.
Criminal proceedings have been initiated against the Azerbaijani and Turkish citizens for knowingly providing a person with an opportunity to stay illegally in Latvia if such an opportunity is provided to two or more persons.
Both men have been remanded in custody, one on bail of EUR 20,000 and the other on bail of EUR 10,000.
