In July, Fima finished installing an integrated state border surveillance system at the Vileikiai frontier station located in the Pagėgiai border district (in Šilutė region). Once this project is finalised, advanced electronic systems will be used to monitor and control the entire state border running along the river Nemunas between Smalininkai and Rusnė.

As part of the project, surveillance towers with day and night vision video cameras have been placed at intervals along the border. Mobile seismic sensors and a special radar have also been installed. Fima specialists have also equipped the Vileikiai frontier station with a purpose-built system management and control software, designed to suit the conditions of the Lithuanian border region and have installed a surveillance centre. The intelligent engineering technology provided on the border in the future can be integrated with the common surveillance system of EU's external border.

"One of the benefits of the new the Vileikiai frontier system installation is that its operation is based on several types of technology, such as video analysis, portable sensors and radar. While individually all these technologies have their operating limitations, once integrated into a common system they seamlessly merge and complement each other, eliminating the likelihood of false alerts and ensuring the efficiency and operational continuity throughout the whole system. This new system will allow frontier officers to use financial and human resources more efficiently," the director of Fima's Security Solutions Department, Giedrius Zaicevas, said.

Until recently, the 27km-long borderline of the Vileikiai frontier station was being protected physically by duty personnel at surveillance posts and mobile patrols. The new system now provides a centralised surveillance of the border which thanks to early identification of potential violators, will enable frontier officers to react and respond promptly by either detaining individuals who have illegally crossed the border or by preventing them from doing so.

The border between Russia and Lithuania was for many years notorious for smuggling and criss-crossed with many routes favoured by smugglers. However, in recent years the strengthening of border protection with advanced technologies has stemmed the tide of border violators and smugglers. Based on the information from the State Border Guard Service, attempts to cross the border illegally have been cut by more than 300 per cent over the last three years.

The electronic border surveillance system at the Vileikiai frontier station was financed by the EU External Borders Fund.