
Crime


Dardedze, a non-governmental organization which helps victims of youth sexual violence, is calling on parents and guardians to discuss the boundaries of appropriate physical contact with children, so they know what is not permissible behavior by adults.

Finnish national public broadcaster reports that attempts have been noted to recruit drivers willing to do people-smuggling work from the Latvian border into EU territory.

The Latvian State Police (VP) has completed its investigation into the murder of seven-year-old Justīne Reinikova and on November 17, the materials were handed over to the East Latgale Prosecutor's Office for the initiation of criminal prosecution against two persons – the girl's father and stepmother.

The prosecution has imposed community service on a woman for drowning kittens in a toilet, according to a public prosecutor's office decision.

State Police have detained a group of criminals on suspicion of falsifying the laundry detergent “Ariel” in large quantities, police said Friday.

State Police have completed an investigation into a criminal case regarding sexual abuse of minors by a man born in 1979, police said November 16.

The Kurzeme District Court has sentenced a man to life imprisonment for murdering his 92-year-old acquaintance, the LETA newswire reported November 16.

President Edgars Rinkēvičs granted clemency to two prisoners in his latest review of applications, bringing his number of presidential pardons issued so far to three.

The Riga Regional Court has sentenced businessman Viesturs Tamužs and former 13th Saeima member Atis Zakatistovs to two years of conditional imprisonment for fraud, the LETA news agency reported November 13. Both men maintained their innocence.

Rīga City Court in Pārdaugava found former Saeima deputy Jānis Ādamsons guilty of espionage, sentencing him to eight years and six months in prison on November 9, Latvian Television reports.

The State Police (VP) detained a group of three people selling drugs in Rīga in late October, police said.

Riga District Court has sentenced a driver to ten years in prison for killing a cyclist in Salaspils, the agency LETA found out at the prosecutor's office on November 8.

The Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB), in co-operation with the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO), has carried out searches, seizures and interrogations on suspicion of EU fund fraud in Valka municipality of at least EUR 776,000, the KNAB said on November 7.

Riga City Court in Vidzeme suburb has sentenced Aleksandrs Filejs, a politician of the Latvian Russian Union (LKS) party, to a conditional imprisonment of ten months for denying the occupation of Latvia, the agency LETA reported Novemebr 6.

At the end of October, the Latvian State Police (VP) detained Alvis Beketovs, who'd been on Europe's most wanted list since 2020, in Ogre municipality, police said.

A criminal case has reached court regarding a high-ranking official of Rīga Municipal Police Vidzeme Administration and unjustified violence against a man during the performance of service duties and false report, the prosecutor's office said November 2.

A Latvian volunteer in Ukraine is wanted by the State Police following an auto accident in Latvia in which a driver was killed, reported LTV's Studio 4 (4. studija) program November 1.

An investigation into a prisoner's escape from the Riga Central Prison earlier this year has not yet been completed, but mistakes have been found by prison staff. However, the escapee, a man arrested for attempted murder, already recorded numerous other violations while serving his sentence, Dmitrijs Kaļins, head of the Prisons Administration, told Latvian Radio in an interview November 2.

On October 30, the administrative district court rejected a claim by the former mayor of Ventspils, Aivars Lembergs, who wanted compensation for what he said was damage to his health while serving time behind bars for crimes of corruption.

Former Bank of Latvia President Ilmārs Rimšēvičs has just stood trial in his third criminal case – this time he is accused of buying a Covid-19 vaccination certificate and using the fake document during three trips. Rimšēvičs does not admit his guilt and says he has been vaccinated, Latvian Television's De Facto reported on October 29.

On October 16 this year, the State Security Service (VDD) encouraged the prosecutor's office to prosecute another person who allegedly spied for Russia while carrying out certain tasks of the criminal organization Baltic antifascists, the VDD said Friday.

Nearly EUR 6 million has been defrauded from Latvian residents this year. Police have observed an increase in the number of victims. While fraud schemes are largely not new, fraudsters have significantly improved methods of psychological assault or social engineering. They most often work in large groups, Latvian Television reported October 19.

On October 16 this year, the State Security Service (VDD) urged the Prosecutor's Office to commence criminal proceedings against a taxi driver who, on behalf of the criminal organization “Baltic Antifascists” in Latvia, purposefully and systematically collected information against Latvia's national security interests for the Russian special services, the VDD said Thursday.

Last week, the State Police (VP) in Rīga detained an organized criminal group on suspicion of making and selling drugs. It has been revealed that these individuals had set up an amphetamine cooking facility at a car repair shop, VP told the media in a statement on October 19.

Drug consumption has increased this year, say the State Police. They have become more dangerous over the past year, with unknown substances and more readily available. Latvian Television conducted an experiment to find out how quickly it was possible to negotiate a drug purchase. Police were unsurprised about the results, LTV reported October 19.

State police have begun checks on a number of cases of people calling themselves environmental activists deflating car tires. Such activity is known to have taken place in several countries, Latvian Television reported October 18.

The use of e-cigarettes and other smoking equipment in and outside schools is common, both students themselves and school management admit. Police raids and discussions hosted by schools do not produce good results, Zemgale regional television reported October 17.

The sending of threatening messages to hundreds of Latvian schools, kindergartens and other institutions last week was most likely organized by Russia, the head of the National Security Commission of the Saeima, Ainars Latkovskis (New Unity), told the "Krustpunktā" (Crossroads) program of Latvian Radio, October 17.

Work was offiically under way Friday, October 13 to build the first new prison in Latvia since the restoration of independence.

On October 10, the State Security Service (VDD) recommended the Public Prosecutor's Office to prosecute six Latvian citizens for running the criminal organization “Baltic Antifascists” and participating in the crimes committed by this organization.
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