Lithuania assails Belarusian KGB's claims it has caught Lithuanian spy
VILNIUS. July 12 (Interfax) - The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry has described as an insinuation claims by the Belarusian State Security Council (KGB) that it has detained a resident of the Lithuanian military intelligence service.
"Information posted on the Belarusian KGB's official website is not true. Insinuations published by special services of the neighboring state do not facilitate improvement in bilateral relations," Lithuanian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mindaugas Lasas told BNS Agency on Thursday.
The Belarusian KGB's Information Center earlier circulated a statement saying that the Belarusian KGB has exposed a group of Belarusian citizens spying for Lithuania "The KGB has carried out a covert operation, catching a Lithuanian military intelligence resident, Citizen F. Several of his agents were detained, too, on suspicion of providing state secrets to a foreign special service," the Belarusian KGB claimed.
It was reported earlier that the Belarusian State Security Committee (KGB) announced that it has exposed a group of Belarusian citizens spying for Lithuania, the KGB's information center told Interfax.
"The KGB has carried out a covert operation, catching a Lithuanian military intelligence resident, Citizen F. Several of his agents were detained, too, on suspicion of providing state secrets to a foreign special service," the Belarusian KGB said.
"Electronic media and other material evidence has been found in a search operation, which exposes their espionage activities to obtain secret military information, including information related to the Union State's common security system," the KGB said.
Documents have been obtained proving that the group of agents was carrying out operations to get information with the use of technical media and to pass it over abroad, it said. "Cooperation with Lithuanian special services was confirmed by the evidence gathered and by the suspects' confession," the Belarusian KGB said.
"Experts qualified the materials gathered and prepared for transfer to the Lithuanian special services as state secrets of the Republic of Belarus. The KGB's prompt intervention helped uncover the foreign intelligence service's plans, monitor its operations and prevent serious damage on the state's defense capability and security," it said.
A criminal case has been started against the persons detained on counts of high treason, which carry prison confinement of 7 to 15 years, the Belarusian KGB said.