Seduced by an enigmatic advertisement, the man got into the criminal network: what he got himself into, he realized too late

N. Beselia is currently spending his days in a Lithuanian prison, detained and awaiting a court sentence for the illegal transport of people across the state border. According to the Penal Code, this crime is only punishable by a prison sentence of up to 8 years.

I wanted easy money

N. Beselia, who worked in a large factory in southwestern Poland three years ago, worked here as a loader and his salary was 3,600 zlotys (about 780 euros) per month. The 31-year-old was looking for opportunities to earn more money because he wanted to go home and care for a sick father.

“One day, during lunch in the Telegram group, I came across an advertisement that a job was being offered to drivers. It is written that the earnings – from 12 thousand. – N. Beselia told the Vilnius Regional Court. – It was I wrote that the company “Group” was looking for, I thought it was a big transport company. I wrote and asked what it was like to work “.

About 40 minutes later, the Georgian received a call from a Russian-speaking man, who did not even hide that the offer was illegal, but even if it got stuck, there would be no major problems.

“I offered to meet, but he categorically said no, we will discuss everything over the phone. He said the job was to transport people. If they catch me, I will only receive a fine of 500 euros, nothing more. He promised to pay 1,200 euros for a trip” recalled N. Beselia, now accused of having committed a serious crime.

The offer seduced the man, so the next day he went to work and declared that he was leaving work and leaving the country.

I followed the instructions

Soon Beselia, an enigmatic new employer, was instructed: he was told to drive to Warsaw, where to find a Mercedes car in French numbers.

“I got on the train and went to Warsaw. He gave me the address, I went there, the car was already parked and the keys inside. I checked in and left without checking anything,” said the Georgian.

They also sent him the coordinates of where to go. After entering them into navigation, the man learned that a 400-kilometer journey awaited him. At that time, he still did not understand that he was going to Lithuania.

“There were no publications on the way, no checks,” he recalled. “I finally went to a forest.”

Soon, 8 figures emerged from the darkness, suddenly clinging to the car. At that moment, the human smuggler was overcome with fear, he realized that he was involved in serious matters.

“I immediately realized that they would catch me. So I told them to come out, but they didn’t react, they didn’t say anything, “he said. “Then I turned around and after driving about 100 meters I saw a black car with headlights.”

Spruko in the forest

The frightened man danced from the car and left the migrants storming into the forest. There he wandered all night until he found his way through the lights, and after a while he also walked to the bus stop.

“I was waiting for the bus, but the police came, stopped me and took me to the border guards,” Beselia said.

It was not difficult for officers to identify the man – he left his passport and other documents in the car. The man, confused by the officers, immediately confessed.

“I said he was guilty of driving the car and everything, nothing more,” he said.

However, who these enigmatic people involved in human trafficking in Georgia failed to identify. The end of the offer could have been N. Bessel’s phone number, but he assured her that he had lost it while running through the woods.

It has not been possible to determine who is the owner of the Mercedes car registered in France, it is only clear that it is not being sought.

The Iraqis themselves were unable to explain anything useful either, and their trip was also organized by an enigmatic person with whom they contacted by phone.

After paying thousands of euros and arriving in Minsk, a stranger took them to the border and released them. They already had the coordinates of where the car that was supposed to take them to Poland and then to Germany would be waiting for them.

Proposes 2-year prison sentence

Speaking the last word in court, the Georgian regretted his actions and called for the lightest punishment to be imposed.

“I miss my family so much, I want to go with them sooner. Please release me as soon as possible. I admit my guilt again and thank them for everything,” he asked.

Prosecutor Marina Orlova, who pleaded guilty to the charge, had previously proposed that the innocent man be sentenced to 2 years in prison, but it was reduced by a third when the defendant pleaded guilty, apologized and cooperated with the police.

The prosecutor hinted that the defendant had gained nothing from the crime: he should have received the promised 1,200 euros only after taking the migrants to Warsaw.

And his lawyer Vytenis Dziegoraitis is convinced that this punishment is too severe.

In this case, it is important to appreciate the fact that less than two and a half months have passed before the court, although it has a certain international element. Through her conduct and cooperation with pre-trial investigative institutions, Nika Beselia contributed significantly to making the process extremely fast and costing the state as little as possible, ”said the defense attorney.

The court is scheduled to announce the sentence imposed on N. Bessel in mid-October.

Smugglers activated

Along with the migration crisis, human smugglers have also escalated. This year 35 investigations into this crime have already been initiated, compared to 7 in the same period last year.

Officials are actively monitoring suspicious cars, especially at the border and near migrant camps. Vehicles with foreign numbers are checked, as well as minibuses.

Usually the whole scheme is organized outside of Lithuania. Foreign nationals, mostly Russian-speaking from Georgia, Ukraine or Belarus, are caught smuggling illegal immigrants. They, like Ms Beselia, usually only say it when they are attracted to an offer to make money, but who is behind it all does not know.

Migrants already legally residing in Germany or other Western European countries also transport people. They usually try to help their family, friends or acquaintances.

Migrants who cross the border illegally in Lithuania generally do not even hide the fact that their destination is Germany or another Western European country.

They only talk about their love for Lithuania and their desire to stay here when they are in camps and they realize that if they speak differently, they will probably not get asylum and will be deported to their home country.

About 4,000 people were arrested in Lithuania this summer. migrants who have crossed the border illegally. The influx of foreigners is seen as a hybrid war launched by Belarus, carefully planned by the regime of dictator Aliaksandr Lukashenko. Migrants in this war are just a tool.

708 people are reported to have already fled the camps in Lithuania and only 146 were detained.

It is not clear how many of them managed to descend to Western Europe via Lithuania, according to unofficial data, at least 5% manage to do so. newcomers.