First Deputy Chairman of the State Border Committee of Belarus Andrei Horulko reported on March 30 that Belarus might introduce a visa regime with Georgia. Andrei Horulko explained that the issue was currently under consideration within the common customs area at the level of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The representative of the State Border Committee noted that the availability of visa-free regime between Belarus and Georgia is becoming a problem, as some Georgian citizens freely enter the territory of Russia via Belarus without a Russian visa (visa regime between Georgia and Russia has been operating since 2000). Meanwhile, according to Andrei Horulko, this issue is of a political character, RIA «Novosti» news agency.
First deputy head of the State Border Committee also reported that the issue of the passport-visa regime unification on the entire territory of the Customs Union, not just Georgia, had been discussed in March at a meeting of the Customs Union Commission. A working group was created and this issue will be raised again at the commission meeting this summer.
International Criminal Group Transported to Russia 1.5 Thousand Georgians Illegals
Meanwhile, the Central Investigation Department of preliminary investigation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs has initiated a criminal case against criminal gang members, engaged in the illegal transit of citizens of Georgia to Russia. Criminal organization, consisted of three groups of citizens of Belarus, Russia and Georgia, has operated from 2008 to 2010. Two groups worked in Belarus, another — in Moscow. The criminals organized the illegal entry and exit of one and a half thousand people during this time.
According to the Interior Ministry, the perpetrators provided Georgians, wishing to enter the territory of Russia, with false information for inclusion in the immigration cards. When transporting illegal immigrants from one country to another, the criminals took heightened secrecy: used symbols and passwords system, special equipment to monitor law enforcement radio.
Employees of the Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption have also found that a staff of the Belarusian Railway had a direct relevance to this «business.» They have helped criminals to transport illegal immigrants on the train from Minsk to Moscow and back.
Law enforcement authorities arrested the criminals red-handed in August — October 2010. The criminal case was filed under Article 285 of the Criminal Code of Belarus («Creation of a criminal organization or participation in it») and Article 371-1 («The organization of illegal migration»).
