Automatically deployable road barriers will be installed at all border crossing points in eastern Latvia to stop malicious violators, said the head of the State Border Guard Guntis Pujaats to the LETA agency.
He noted that a project is currently underway to strengthen and develop border checkpoints, which includes the implementation of technical means to block vehicle movement. The project involves the installation of metal posts—bollards—under the road surface that automatically extend at the push of a button, making it impossible for a vehicle to proceed further.
The leading enterprise of the project is the State Real Estate Management, and the procurement procedure is currently underway.
Commenting on the incident last week at the Terehova border checkpoint, where a citizen of Tajikistan in a Lexus car illegally crossed the state border at high speed, damaging two barriers, Pujaats noted that the actions of the border guards will also be evaluated; however, the pursuit was initiated immediately, and with the involvement of additional forces, the violator was apprehended.
"Of course, if the violator is moving at a high speed, it takes a certain amount of time to apprehend him," emphasized Pujaats.
As reported, last week at the Terehova checkpoint, a citizen of Tajikistan in a Lexus car illegally crossed the state border at high speed, damaging two barriers.
To prevent the vehicle from leaving without control and to stop it, the border guards used a vehicle stop device called "hedgehog"; however, the driver ignored the demands and evaded the attempt to stop.
The border guards immediately began search operations involving personnel and aviation, as well as in cooperation with the State Police. As a result of the search in the Isnauda parish of the Ludza region, police officers stopped the wanted vehicle.
The border guards initiated a criminal case for the intentional illegal crossing of the state external border using a vehicle.
An administrative proceeding has also been initiated against the individual for violating the border checkpoint regime and another administrative case under the law on administrative penalties for offenses in the field of management, public order, and the use of the state language.
