Latvia’s State Police detained in Riga, Jurmala and the capital’s surroundings a criminal group of Latvian and Lithuanian citizens who hid tens of kilograms of drugs in barrels buried in the forest.[1][2][3] On 21 October police detained six people in a large-scale operation, after three of them tried to flee but failed to escape.[1][4][2][3][5][6][7] Two other Latvian members were already imprisoned for other crimes but continued to coordinate the activity using banned means of communication.[1][8][9][2][3][10][6][7] Among the six detained were four Lithuanian citizens and two Latvian citizens, born from 1971 to 2003, who police said had no official job in Latvia.[1][4][10][7] Two detained Lithuanians were wanted in Lithuania at the time, one of them internationally wanted for drug trafficking.[1][8][7] One detained Latvian had been wanted since 28 August for a sexual act against a person under 16 and for theft, and was handed over to serve his sentence.[1][7] The other detained Latvian had been released from prison only in spring after serving a sentence for a similar drug-trafficking offence.[1] On 23 October a court imposed pretrial custody, the strictest restraint, on five suspects, four Lithuanians and one Latvian.[1][9][2][10][5][7]

Police carried out ten searches at suspects’ homes, in cars and in a prison, and also examined forest areas.[1][4][9][2][3][10][5][7] Officers found about 36 kilograms of various narcotic and other controlled substances, including amphetamine, marijuana, cocaine, hashish, Subutex, Quetiapine Accord, clonazepam and MDMA.[1][8][9][2][10][5][6][7] Officers also seized 34 devices containing the psychoactive substance THC found in cannabis, and found most of the substances in barrels buried in the forest.[1][5] State Police said this was the first discovery in the Riga region of such a large drug consignment hidden in a forest.[1][4] During the searches officers also seized 17 mobile phones, a tablet and false identity documents, plus 5,490 euros in cash suspected to be criminal proceeds.[1][8]

Police had started the organised-group drug-trafficking investigation on 14 October and identified eight people linked to the crime.[1][4] Police said the investigation continues to establish all circumstances and to check possible involvement of other people.[1]

Police said the crime was uncovered in close cooperation with the Prison Administration.[8] The investigation began on 14 October 2026 in the 1st section of the 4th Bureau of the State Police Riga regional board’s criminal police.[4] The operation was run with the State Police cybercrime, investigation support, technical support and OMEGA counter-terrorism units.[4] The criminal case cites organised-group trafficking, bringing communication devices into prison and driving under the influence of drugs.[8]

Dmitrijs Vorobjovs, deputy head of the State Police Riga regional board’s drug-enforcement division, spoke about the case in an audio interview for LSM.[11]

The first public sign of the case was a video filmed by a young woman and posted on social media in late October, showing sounds resembling gunshots and several police cars, after which police confirmed several arrests in the Riga region without giving details.[5]

The Kodols television account broke the total down as almost 16 kilograms of marijuana.[6]