Police detained 46 people over a week and arrested a suspected immigration facilitator

Since 17 September, police have detained 46 foreign nationals who entered Estonia illegally via Belarus and Latvia. In addition, a court, at the request of the prosecutor's office, has remanded a 54-year-old Romanian citizen in custody on suspicion of organising illegal immigration.

Over the past week, police detained foreign nationals who had entered Estonia without a legal basis in several districts of Tallinn as well as near the Latvian border. Information about their whereabouts reached police both through reports from vigilant members of the public and through intelligence gathered by law enforcement.

According to Indrek Aru, Head of the Northern Border Guard Bureau, illegal migration had slowed considerably in recent weeks as joint efforts by Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Finland to strengthen control measures along the Latvian border proved effective.

“The pause in illegal migration was clearly noticeable and costly both for the migrants and for those profiting from it. We were prepared for the possibility that pressure would increase again, which is why we continue to monitor networks operating at the border, in urban areas and online,” said Aru.

Aru noted that many of those arriving illegally have committed serious offences.

“They have entered the Schengen Area unlawfully. There have been several cases involving damage to border infrastructure. From the perspective of the states concerned, such actions are criminal offences, and we investigate them in accordance with applicable procedures,” he added.

Five of the 46 migrants were apprehended in Pärnu County outside Tallinn. At approximately 11 p.m. last Saturday, officers from the Pärnu Police Station, together with Finnish Border Guard officers, stopped a vehicle with Latvian registration plates at the former Ikla border crossing as part of Schengen compensatory measures. The vehicle was driven by a 54-year-old Romanian national.

While an Estonian police officer was speaking with the driver, a Finnish border guard noticed something unusual hidden among the luggage in the rear seat.

“At first it appeared that only the driver was in the vehicle, but our observant colleague spotted a human hand among the luggage. During a more thorough inspection, we discovered five foreign nationals in the vehicle who had attempted to conceal themselves,” explained Margo Peters, Head of the Border and Migration Supervision Service of the Western Prefecture.
It was established that, in addition to the Romanian driver, the vehicle contained five individuals of South Asian origin who had entered Estonia illegally after travelling through Belarus and Latvia.

The migrants have since been placed in the detention centre in Tallinn, while the Romanian citizen has been remanded in custody by court order. Criminal proceedings have been initiated under the provision of the Penal Code concerning the illegal transportation of foreign nationals across the state border of the Republic of Estonia.

“The criminal investigation will determine the exact route by which these foreign nationals arrived in Estonia, but according to preliminary information, they were sent to Latvia from a camp in Belarus. Based on the evidence gathered so far, the Romanian suspect picked them up in Latvia, concealed them in his vehicle and instructed them to keep their heads down. This indicates that he knew he was transporting foreign nationals illegally into Estonia and was aware that, if caught, he would face criminal liability,” said prosecutor Keili Tiirik.
The prospect of easy profit from transporting foreign nationals illegally into Estonia is not worth the risk. Offenders face criminal penalties and detention. If the offence involves deprivation of liberty or causes injury to another person, even more serious charges may follow.

“Smuggling foreign nationals across state borders requires long-term planning and a willingness to travel alongside the migrants. This is rarely a one-off offence; it is almost always systematic and repetitive, and it may endanger the lives and health of those being transported. The manner in which this offence was carried out, together with the evidence collected, suggests that the Romanian citizen may be an experienced smuggler with the contacts and knowledge necessary to commit such crimes. The suspect came to Estonia solely to commit a criminal offence and earn illicit profit. If released, he would likely continue committing crimes and leave Estonia. To prevent this, the court remanded him in custody at the prosecutor’s request,” added prosecutor Keili Tiirik.

“Every courier who is arrested sends a clear message to those seeking to profit from illegal migration. Organising illegal immigration is not an act of goodwill; it is a crime. Anyone who assists foreign nationals in crossing a state border illegally in exchange for payment must expect criminal liability. Both in Estonia and Latvia, this offence is punishable by up to three years’ imprisonment,” said Aru.

This year, nearly 50 criminal investigations have been launched in connection with the illegal transportation of foreign nationals across the state border of the Republic of Estonia. Five individuals have been taken into custody on suspicion of facilitating the illegal movement of foreign nationals across the border.

Since July, police have detained 192 foreign nationals who entered Estonia illegally. To date, 72 individuals who arrived in Estonia via Belarus and Latvia and had no legal basis for staying in Estonia have been returned to Latvia.