Police seek charges against man over planned hostage-taking

Latvia’s State Police has asked prosecutors to charge a previously convicted man with preparing to take a hostage, LSM reported, citing the police.

The police opened a criminal investigation in January after receiving operational information about possible preparations to kidnap at least two people in order to unlawfully obtain their financial assets. During the investigation, the case was reclassified as preparation for hostage-taking.

In February, officers detained the suspect, a man born in 1979, in the Riga region. He was placed in custody the following day. Police also searched his residence and seized several items considered to have evidentiary value.

The man had previously been convicted of a particularly serious criminal offence and was also convicted in September 2025 of inducing a person into immoral conduct.

On August 19, police sent the case to the Riga District Prosecutor’s Office to initiate criminal prosecution. The man is suspected of preparing to take a hostage, an offence punishable by three to 12 years in prison.