Latvian police bust illegal migrant smuggling with counterfeit “Latvijas pasts” vehicles

During the weekend of 24–25 July 2026, Latvian border police in the Krāslava region and Daugavpils intercepted two vehicles that were falsified to appear as official “Latvijas pasts” mail trucks. A Latvian citizen driving a Toyota with fake licence plates was found carrying six people without valid travel documents who had previously crossed the Belarus‑Latvia border illegally. In Daugavpils, police pursued a Ford driven by a Ukrainian woman; after a chase the vehicle stopped and nine undocumented migrants emerged. A border‑guard dog later located six additional undocumented persons in the surrounding area, bringing the total number of detained individuals to 21.

All suspects face criminal proceedings under Latvia’s Criminal Code for illegal movement of persons across the state border during a period of heightened border protection. The investigations also noted that the Latvian driver exceeded the vehicle’s passenger capacity and that the Ukrainian driver had remained in Latvia without completing the required security questionnaire.