Latvian security chief: Russia recruits criminals for sabotage operations in Latvia
Normunds Mežviets, Director General of the Latvian State Security Service, has revealed that Russia is attempting to recruit individuals with criminal backgrounds to conduct sabotage operations.
As reported by Delfi, a Baltic states news website, Mežviets said that Russian intelligence primarily targets military facilities and critical infrastructure.
"Several incidents occurred in our country last year which we are currently investigating and we are not ruling out links to tasks assigned by Russian intelligence. None of these incidents caused significant harm to Latvia's national security," he said.
He also noted that a group was uncovered last year that had set fire to premises belonging to a company involved in a defence project in 2023.
The same group planned to target lorries with Ukrainian plates at a critical infrastructure site. They had also compiled a list of potential sabotage targets, including memorials, power facilities, warehouses storing flammable goods and military sites.
According to Mežviets, Russia recruits people connected to criminal networks – individuals with prior convictions and a history of illegal activity.
"These people also have certain criminal corporate links, if you will. They have a wide network of contacts with similar interests. Recruiting one such person provides extensive opportunities to rely on them and involve others they know in similar activities," he added.
Former prisoners and drug users are involved in gathering intelligence and organising sabotage for money, though some provide information voluntarily for ideological reasons.
As of now, four individuals are in custody following arrests earlier this year. Three are Latvian citizens and one does not have Latvian citizenship. These four are suspected of espionage.
The State Security Service continues to monitor several others suspected of similar activities, so Mežviets does not rule out further arrests in the future.
"For several years now, we have observed Russia making fairly desperate attempts to establish new groups of young, educated leaders who could later head so-called compatriot organisations and coordinate Russian-speaking communities to achieve Russian objectives," he noted.
The Latvian State Security Service recently warned that Russia's level of aggression will remain high this year, with a tendency to escalate.
Meanwhile, the Latvian Constitution Protection Bureau posted a report stating that Russia does not currently pose a direct military threat to Latvia, but there are signs of potential long-term plans.
Commenting on the report, Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs said there is no need for additional special security measures in Latvia.