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Lukashenko approves decision about Belarus’ state border protection in 2019
MINSK, 4 February (BelTA) – Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko approved the decision about the protection of the state border by the border service in 2019, BelTA leaned.
According to Chairman of the State Border Committee of Belarus Anatoly Lappo, the president gave a number of instructions regarding the measures to ensure border security and national security in general. The process to improve border infrastructure, strengthen separate parts of the border, including in the south, is underway.
There is an instruction to make sure that law abiding citizens and transport vehicles cross the border in a comfortable, fast and secure way in accordance with the legislation.
In this regard, the head of the committee remarked that the number of people crossing the border increased by 9%, the number of vehicles – by 2-3% last year.
Among the existing challenges Anatoly Lappo mentioned illegal transit migration. For example, in 2018 illegal migration from the East to the West increased by more than 57%. Border guards apprehended 457 people. “We are protecting not only the state border of Belarus, we are also protecting the European Union from illegal migration. And we should join efforts in this field,” he said.
He also spoke about growing drug trafficking. Belarusian border guards seized over 450kg of corresponding substances in 2018, up almost four times as against 2017. “Of course, we are improving the forms and methods [of detecting drugs], but drug runners also expand their methods,” Anatoly Lappo said.
As for the increase in personnel numbers, development of maneuver groups, the chairman of the State Border Committee did not voice a general figure. However, he stressed that this move is aimed at ensuring border security. “We have already formed maneuver groups (staffs) in the Ukrainian direction. A border post and an outpost have been put into operation. Now we are starting to supply them with manpower, armament and vehicles, deploy new staffs for border protection. This will enhance our potential,” he said.
Anatoly Lappo explained that mobile groups are, first of all, meant to solve pending tasks. “A unit commander should always have a reserve which can be deployed within 3-4 minutes,” the head of the committee said.
It is worth saying that a lot have been recently said about potential threats and attempts to carry weapons and ammunition to the territory of Belarus. Such risks are indirectly confirmed by the recent data of Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yuriy Lutsenko. “I am not joking, there are 3-5 million illegal weapons in the country,” he was quoted as saying by Ukrinform.
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