Currently, there are no pronounced ethnically organized criminal groups in Latvia; however, the geopolitical situation and the experience of other countries indicate that their formation may be possible in Latvia in the near future, stated Agita Ozola, Chief Inspector of the 2nd Department of the Criminal Intelligence Division of the State Police, on Monday at a meeting of the parliamentary investigation commission on immigration regulation, as reported by LETA.
So far, the groups identified in Latvia generally include representatives of different nationalities. In recent years, such groups have been involved in various types of criminal activities. "Drugs, excise goods, and other areas of crime that can bring quick profits are increasingly being operated by these groups at an international level," emphasized the police representative.
"Given the geopolitical situation and the hybrid war of Russia and Belarus against the EU, as well as the rapid increase in the number of migrants from Africa and Asia arriving in Latvia in recent years, who formally come for educational purposes, and considering the experience of developed EU countries and Scandinavia, it can be predicted that ethnic criminal groups may form in Latvia in the near future," noted Ozola.
According to the experience of other countries, immigrant criminal groups — Muslim, Hindu, and other ethnic groups — are more difficult to identify and suppress due to linguistic, cultural, and behavioral differences, therefore they need to be given special attention not only at the level of law enforcement agencies but also at the level of state policy, emphasized Ozola.
A parliamentary investigation commission was established by the Saeima on November 27 of last year at the initiative of 34 deputies to find answers to a number of questions, including how immigration application review procedures are implemented, what measures are taken to prevent illegal immigration, what legal regulation issues exist regarding asylum seekers, how many individuals disappear from the sight of state authorities after obtaining residence permits, what risks are associated with temporary residence permits and their potential abuse, and whether Latvia can apply exceptions to the norms of European Union migration law.
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