The Security Police (SP) once again advises residents of Latvia against traveling to Russia or Belarus during the upcoming Easter holidays, as there are high risks of espionage activities, recruitment, and provocations, reports LETA.
The Security Police emphasizes that the target of the intelligence services of Russia and Belarus can be any person, regardless of their occupation and access to classified information. At the same time, the capabilities of Latvian institutions to assist their citizens who find themselves in difficult situations in Russia or Belarus are limited.
The service has established that the intelligence services of Russia and Belarus actively use the opportunity to interrogate and recruit foreigners on their territory, where they have broad freedom of action. Their personnel will not hesitate to employ aggressive and illegal methods to compel cooperation.
If it is still necessary to travel to one of these countries, the service recommends not taking a mobile phone, especially if it contains work-related or sensitive information. Data can be extracted from the phone at the border control point, and it may also be infected with spyware. A safer option is a phone with a prepaid SIM card, which can be disposed of after the trip. Additionally, one should not take a computer, flash drives, or other data storage devices.
The identification of potential recruitment targets occurs already at border checkpoints — representatives of the intelligence services may pose as border guards or use other disguises, including law enforcement officers or any other institutions of Russia or Belarus. Furthermore, they can obtain significant information even during a casual conversation.
The Security Police warns that intelligence service personnel may aggressively and in an ultimatum manner make accusations of violations or crimes, as well as attempt to coerce cooperation in exchange for immunity or by promising expedited border control processing.
In case of suspicion of contact with a representative of the intelligence services of Russia or Belarus, the Security Police urges reporting this by calling the service's 24-hour hotline at 67208964 or writing to the email info@vdd.gov.lv.
