An underground tunnel has been discovered in Latvia on the border with Belarus, through which a group of 15 migrants was attempting to enter the country illegally. The authorities have launched a special operation, "Werewolf", targeting networks involved in the illegal smuggling of people across the border and onwards to other European countries.
WHAT WAS DISCOVERED AT THE BORDER
According to The Insider citing Latvian authorities, this is the first time such a tunnel has been found on the border with Belarus. A group of 15 migrants used the underground passage to enter Latvia illegally.
The length of the Latvian-Belarusian border is 173 km.
HOW LATVIA IS STRENGTHENING BORDER SECURITY
Latvia's Minister of the Interior, Jānis Dombrava, stated at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs that the authorities are enhancing cooperation between the border guard service, police, armed forces, and special services. It is also planned to make more intensive use of drones to detect and detain offenders.
According to Kulbergs, criminal networks organise the transfer of migrants from Belarus to Latvia and then into the Schengen Area. He noted that the migrants' final destination is usually other European countries.
WHAT OPERATION "WEREWOLF" INVOLVES
The special operation "Werewolf" targets networks which, according to Latvian authorities, transport people from the border to their destinations. Support points for migrants within the country have also been included in the scope of the operation.
Latvia intends to coordinate its actions with Estonia, Lithuania, Poland and other neighbouring states. Specific timelines and additional measures are not specified in the materials provided.
CONTEXT
A similar case was previously recorded on the border between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. In early August 2026, an underground tunnel was discovered in the Batken region, which, according to preliminary data, may have been used for the illegal movement of goods.
The tunnel's depth was approximately 12 metres, and its width 1.5 metres. The investigative service was conducting a check in connection with the find.
Similar cases on the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border had been recorded previously. In 2024, Kyrgyz security forces reported the discovery of several underground tunnels in the Jalal-Abad region and on the territory of the Andijan region of Uzbekistan. According to law enforcement agencies, such structures were used for the illegal movement of goods and crossing the state border.
The topic of underground tunnels on the border with Uzbekistan has also appeared in Kazakhstani practice. In December 2024, law enforcement agencies on the Kazakh-Uzbek border eliminated a tunnel which, according to the prosecutor's office of the Turkestan region, was used for smuggling petroleum products. In August 2025, a court found the organiser of this scheme guilty and sentenced him to 15 years in prison.
