MINSK. April 4 (Interfax) - Polish citizens have been detained in Belarus on suspicion of acting as agents of foreign special services, head of the Belarusian State Security Committee (KGB) Ivan Tertel said in Minsk on Tuesday.
"We detained a certain number of citizens of Poland who were carrying out active operations as part of an intelligence network on our territory. The traitors who they worked with on our territory were also detained," the BelTA state news agency quoted Tertel as saying.
The Polish side is insisting on exchanging its citizens for Belarusian citizens detained in Poland, he said.
"However, none of the individuals detained by them for allegedly working in the interests of Belarus perform tasks for Belarusian special services," he added.
Poland earlier reported the detention of "a large number" of people, including Belarusian citizens, "who are allegedly involved in the activities of the State Security Committee," Tertel said.
However, "none of the individuals detained on Polish territory have anything to do with the activities of Belarusian special services," he said.
Meanwhile, "dozens of Ukrainian citizens" have been detained in Belarus for espionage and attempts to stage terrorist acts, Tertel said. Ukraine has offered to exchange them with Minsk.
"The KGB of Belarus maintains contacts with all special services worldwide. They are used to a varying degree. The Ukrainian side, among others, has contacted us with a request to exchange some of its citizens. We have examined the proposed list - we do not need drug addicts, rapists, or others who are serving sentences on their territory," he said.
There are also citizens of the Baltic countries among those detained for working on intelligence operations in Belarus, Tertel said.
"We have been exposing them in large numbers. Our opponents on that side cannot put forth any complaints against us. Of course, we have contacts with Poland's special services. We have been passing on information and our concerns to them via all channels. We will study their reaction," he said.
As reported earlier, nine people, including three Belarusian citizens, were detained in Poland on suspicion of working for Russian special services.