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For the illegal smuggling of four Eritrean citizens across the state border and the importation of a firearm, the Panevėžys Regional Court has found 21-year-old Turkish citizen Burak Sevimli guilty and sentenced him to a consolidated final sentence of one year of imprisonment for both criminal acts.

The court established that on September 9, 2025, B. Sevimli, who holds a temporary residence permit in Latvia, illegally crossed the state border of the Republic of Lithuania in the Rokiškis district, near the town of Suvainiškis, in an "Audi A4" vehicle. He transported four Eritrean citizens – three women and one man – who did not have a permanent place of residence in Lithuania, from the Republic of Latvia into Lithuania.

The journey of the illegal migrants was cut short on September 10, 2025, at approximately 12:10 AM, when B. Sevimli was detained by State Border Guard Service officers in the Rokiškis district.

Additionally, the accused was transporting a firearm without a permit – a factory-made 9 mm caliber "Walther P22" gas pistol, classified as a Category C firearm.

Although B. Sevimli entered a full plea of guilty in court, the court concluded that the act was committed intentionally and for selfish motives, specifically to receive a promised monetary reward of €300–400 from an unidentified person.

During his testimony, B. Sevimli stated that he would not have transported the migrants for free and understood that his actions were illegal. Although the accused did not receive the promised reward, the court assessed that the agreement to receive material gain in this case constitutes selfish motives.

The court also rejected the defendant's request to be released from criminal liability on the grounds that he did not know it was illegal to transport the weapon. According to the Law on the Control of Weapons and Ammunition of the Republic of Lithuania, a written consent or license is required to transport such a weapon across the border, which B. Sevimli did not possess.

"The fact that he was convinced that no permit was required for the firearm he possessed in Lithuania has no bearing on the qualification of the act. According to Article 7, Paragraph 3 of the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania, ignorance of the law does not exempt one from liability," noted Judge Valdas Meidus.

Taking into account that B. Sevimli sincerely repented and confessed to the criminal acts, the court applied a law mitigating the defendant's liability and imposed a final sentence of 1 year of imprisonment.

The court also confiscated the "Walther P22" gas pistol and an "Apple iPhone 16" mobile phone, which was used to coordinate the illegal smuggling routes, as instruments of the crime.

The sum of €4,660, corresponding to the market value of the "Audi A4" car used to commit the crime, was recovered from B. Sevimli for the benefit of the state. Since the car belongs to the defendant's wife, who was unaware of the criminal activity, the vehicle itself was not confiscated, but its value was recovered from the convict.

The verdict of the Panevėžys Regional Court may be appealed to the Lithuanian Court of Appeal within 20 days.

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