Major police operation in Tallinn targets illegal migrants
A large police operation took place Thursday in Tallinn's Nõmme district to apprehend suspected migrants. According to local residents, police also used drones during the operation.
Police received a call at 12:04 on Thursday reporting that several foreign nationals might be inside an apartment building in Tallinn's Nõmme district, with grounds to suspect they had entered the country illegally, said Indrek Aru, head of the border guard bureau at the Northern Prefecture.
Patrol officers responded and went to verify the information. At the scene, police detained 12 people suspected of illegally entering Estonia. They were taken to a detention center for initial procedural steps.
The tip about the suspicious foreign nationals came from a local resident.
Police continue checking the surrounding area to determine whether more people may have been in the apartment. "If you notice groups of foreign nationals who appear lost, differ from typical tourists, or are engaged in suspicious activity, it is worth informing the police," Aru said.
"Migration pressure on Estonia has increased in recent days. Over the past week, such detentions have occurred daily. We expect the pressure to continue in the coming months," he added.
On Wednesday, the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) said it has apprehended 63 migrants this week, with no sign that the influx is slowing. Most migrants are entering Estonia from the Latvia–Belarus border, and authorities do not expect the flow to stop before poorer autumn weather arrives.
Interior Minister Igor Taro said Belarus is behind the migration pressure, sending migrants to the Baltic states at Russia's encouragement.
PPA director Egert Belitšev added Wednesday that the focal point of hybrid warfare has shifted toward the Baltic states and Finland, as Poland–Lithuania and Poland–Germany border crossings have begun implementing additional controls.
According to Belitšev, the migration situation has worsened specifically this week, with 63 migrants detained — bringing the yearly total to 102, compared with 39 at the same time last year.
The arrival of such numbers of illegal migrants places additional strain not only on the PPA but also on the court system and local municipalities.
Article updated with new information at 15.50 on Thursday
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Editor: Valner Väino, Argo Ideon
