The Lithuanian State Border Guard Service (VSAT) website has reported that a group of Chechens have been arrested while crossing the Belarus-Lithuania border.

According to the information, on July 14, officers from the VSAT observed a taxi driving in the village of Tabariškės, within Šalčininkai, which is near the border of Belarus. When they got the taxi driver, a 31 year old resident of Vilnius, from the car, they learned that he was waiting for three adults and three children. After a short while, Chechen asylum seekers crossed the border and were arrested by the border guards.

There is no information about the identities of the Chechen asylum seekers, however, it was reported that the detainees are a 39 year old male civilian, two women: 31 and 21 years old; and three children: 2, 8 and 9 years old. The male civilian and 21 year old woman are in closed custody and the 31 year old woman and three children were sent to VSAT’s temporary accommodation center in Vilnius.

*Text was translated by Waynakh Online and edited by Michael Capobianco