Latvian non-citizen faces trial over planned hostage-taking

A Latvian non-citizen accused of planning to seize two Indian nationals and extort money from them is to stand trial at Riga City Court, LSM reports.

The accused allegedly prepared the plan in early 2026, targeting an Indian man and his wife. He gathered information about their home, workplace and vehicle, and sought accomplices because he could not carry out the plan alone.

He also reportedly briefed the accomplices on how to carry out the seizure, including nearby traffic and the locations of surveillance cameras. The plan was to demand cash and money from bank accounts, threatening to abduct the man’s wife and harm his relatives if the demands were not met.

The accused had bought State Police uniforms and handed them to the accomplices so they could pose as police officers during the seizure. The plan was not carried out: police arrested him in February 2026.

The prosecution said no one is considered guilty until their guilt is established in accordance with the Criminal Procedure Law.