State Police Prevented Hostage Taking in Riga — Case Referred to Prosecutor's Office
State Police detained a man born in 1979 who was preparing to take at least two hostages for financial gain. The case has been referred to the Riga District Court Prosecutor's Office.
Suspected Hostage-Taking Plotter Referred to Prosecutor's Office
State Police have prevented the taking of at least two hostages by detaining a suspect man while the criminal offence was still in the preparation stage, reports Google News LV — Crime (lv). The investigation has been completed and the criminal case has been referred to the Riga District Court Prosecutor's Office for the institution of criminal proceedings.
The suspect is a man born in 1979, who is accused of preparing to take hostages with the aim of unlawfully obtaining his victims' financial funds. Criminal proceedings were initially instituted in January of this year, when officials from the 1st Department of the Organised Crime, Serious and Serial Crime Suppression Division of the Main Criminal Police Directorate received operational information about a possible preparation for the kidnapping of two persons.
During the investigation, the criminal case was reclassified in accordance with section 2 of Article 154 and section 3 of Article 15 of the Criminal Law. The suspect was detained in the Riga region in February 2026, and the Riga City Court decided to impose detention the following day. During a search of his residence, several items of evidentiary significance were seized.
The suspect has previous convictions for especially serious criminal offences, and in September 2025 he was convicted of incitement to indecency.
The investigation in the criminal case was completed on 19 August of this year, when the case was referred to the prosecutor's office for the institution of criminal proceedings. For preparing to take a hostage, the law provides for deprivation of liberty from three to twelve years, with or without confiscation of property, and also probation supervision for a period of up to three years.
State Police remind the public that no person is considered guilty until guilt for a criminal offence has been proven in the manner prescribed by law.
Source: Google News LV — Crime (lv)