Three illegal immigrants, allegedly from Somalia, who participated in a major escape from Latvian law enforcement agencies, have applied for asylum in Latvia, Latvian media reported with reference to the State Border Guard.
Two of the women suffered gunshot wounds during the incident. Despite their claims of Somali citizenship, border control will check their nationality. At the moment, all three are detained under the Immigration Law and are in a detention center for foreigners in Daugavpils.
Earlier it was reported that on October 8, Border Guard officers discovered a vehicle disguised as a police car near the border with Belarus, transporting border violators. The car was equipped with fake license plates and special signals identical to those used on real police cars.
The police organized a chase that lasted about an hour, starting from Lasha (Jekabpils region) and ending with Staburag parish in Aizkraukle region. Despite repeated demands to stop using light and sound signals, the driver of the car continued driving. They managed to stop the car only after law enforcement officers shot out its tires.
As a result, two immigrant women received gunshot wounds, but their lives are not in danger. The third woman required medical attention due to deteriorating health.
One of the alleged carriers was detained on the spot, while the other managed to escape into the forest, where he called a taxi to continue his escape. However, the police soon discovered a taxi parked in a suspicious place and detained a man similar to the wanted man.
The detained were citizens of Ukraine and Belarus. A criminal trial has been launched against them for facilitating the illegal stay of people in Latvia. During the operation, 43 third-country citizens were returned to the border with the Republic of Belarus.
Source: www.gorod.lv
