The autumn school holidays are next week.
The Service noted that Latvian authorities have limited possibilities to help nationals in difficulty in Russia or Belarus.
The VDD warned that Russian and Belarusian special services would not hesitate to use threats, blackmail, and other unlawful methods to try to coerce cooperation on their territory.
The Service recalled that the first attempt at solicitation often takes place at a border checkpoint when the agents of the special services pose as border guards or use other disguises, whether law enforcement or any other Russian or Belarusian authority. In addition, Russian and Belarusian special services can obtain information relevant to them during a simple conversation.
Given the above, the Service strongly advises Latvian citizens not to travel to Russia and Belarus during the upcoming holidays.
However, if you do need to travel to these aggressor countries, the Service recommends that you do not take your mobile phone with you, especially if it contains work-related or sensitive information. You should also avoid taking computers, flash drives, and other storage media.
At the border checkpoint, your mobile phone may be stripped of data or infected with spyware. A mobile phone with a prepaid card is a safer choice and can be disposed of after the trip.
The VDD calls on you to take note of signs that may indicate contact with a Russian or Belarusian special services agent at a border crossing:
- unusually increased scrutiny and questioning;
- questioned by a person in civilian clothes and not in border guard uniform;
- questions that are not related to the competence of the border guard, e.g. about the situation in Latvia, the attitude towards the events in Ukraine, the war refugees who have entered Latvia, the support provided by Latvia to Ukraine;
- private questions - about the workplace, duties to be performed, financial situation;
- accusation of an offense or crime in an attempt to force you to "cooperate" in exchange for exemption from liability;
- giving you a telephone number to call the next time you arrive in the country.
If you suspect contact with a Russian or Belarusian special services agent, the VDD invites you to provide information by calling the service's 24-hour hotline 67208964 or by sending an e-mail to [email protected]. The VDD guarantees the confidentiality of the person providing the information.
