Ukrainian authorities unearthed another tunnel on the border with Slovakia, which might have been used for smuggling. This latest discovery is located between the Ukrainian village of Mali Slemenci and the Slovak village of Veľké Slemence, the TASR newswire reported on August 17.
The entrance to the tunnel on Slovakia’s territory has not yet been confirmed.
“The case is being dealt with by Ukrainian authorities,” said spokesperson for the Financial Directorate Miroslava Slemenská, as quoted by TASR, adding that the border cooperation in this issue falls under the remit of the police authorities in charge.
“More information will only be available after the tunnel is probed from the Ukrainian side of the border,” Slemenská added.
The police also confirmed that they do not have further information about the tunnel, saying that “the technical work aimed at cleaning the flooded shaft and pinning down its route continued on Sunday, with geological experts joining the efforts”, TASR reported on August 19.
Only a month ago, Slovak authorities discovered a 700-metre tunnel used to smuggle goods, especially cigarettes and individuals, between the two countries. The underground passage showed a high level of engineering expertise and was possibly dug out using mining technology. It ran six metres below the ground, with some 480 metres of its 700-metre span under Slovakia, TASR wrote.
Two people involved in the crime were caught in a police operation, while Interior Minister Robert Kaliňák envisaged that more arrests vis-à-vis the case would follow soon.
Source: TASR
For more information about this story please see: Police unearth smugglers' tunnel
Compiled by Radka Minarechová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
