Dutch cyclist arrested after 'trying to enter Belarus illegally'

Belarusian border officials have arrested two men for separately trying to enter the country illegally on foot and bicycle.

A 48-year-old Dutch citizen was detained by authorities on Sunday after trying to cycle into Belarus from neighbouring Lithuania.

He was found two hundred metres from the border after hiding in a forest in Ostrovets district.

"Lithuanian border guards informed their Belarusian colleagues about the appearance of an unknown person with a bicycle at the border," Belarus's state border committee said in a statement.

The man had claimed he "wanted to start a new life in Belarus or Russia", but he could not legally enter either country.

Meanwhile, a Polish national from Poznan was also arrested on Sunday at the Bialowieza-Pererov checkpoint after crossing the border illegally.

"To the surprise of the foreigner, the border guard of the outpost was waiting for him," Belarus said. The man has claimed that he had tried to get to Belarus to find work after an argument with his father.

"According to the detainee himself, he did not know that the Belarusian-Polish border was guarded," the statement added.

Both men face a fine and deportation and will be banned from visiting Belarus for the next five years.