Border guards noted 15- and 43-percent growth in the number of unauthorised border crossings and border offenders in 2009, compared to those in 2008, respectively. SBGS officers recorded 395 unauthorised border crossings in 2009 which is 15 percent more than the numbers in 2008 when 343 such attempts were recorded.

Similarly to previous years, a larger part of unauthorised border crossings was at the land borders where 299 such cases were recorded. The border in water basins was crossed without authorisation in 95 cases. One more unauthorised border crossing was visually observed in air space.

A larger part of unauthorised border crossings was recorded at the external borders of the European Union: 202 cases of unauthorised border crossing at the border with Belarus and 155 cases at the border with the Kaliningrad Region of Russia in 2009.

Unauthorised border crossing at those sections is most often related to smuggling when persons involved in unlawful trade go to the territory of a neighbour country illegally.

The apprehension rate of border offenders increased notably as SBGS officers apprehended 299 such persons in 2009. A larger part of the offenders were apprehended at the same sections as above, 132 at the border with Belarus and 102 at the border with Russia. The year of 2009 showed a 43-percent growth in the number of those apprehended by Lithuanian border guards: 209 offenders were apprehended in 2008.

Of those apprehended for unauthorised border crossing, Lithuanian nationals were the most numerous, totalling 142 out of 299 offenders. SBGS officers also apprehended 33 nationals from each of Russia and Georgia, 19 from Belarus, 12 from Sri Lanka, 10 from Iraq, 8 from Afghanistan, and 7 from Armenia.

All in all, Lithuanian border guards apprehended nationals of 16 countries and, above all, some stateless persons in 2009 .