Ukrainian national to stand trial over attempt to arrange murder of Latvian border guard in Daugavpils
Prosecutors in Latvia's Latgale region have sent to court a case against a Ukrainian citizen accused of attempting, as part of an organised group, to kill a State Border Guard officer in Daugavpils in 2020. The attack was linked to the officer's work against illegal trade in excise goods.
A prosecutor from the Latgale District Prosecutor's Office sent a criminal case to court on 9 October against a Ukrainian citizen. He is accused of attempting, as part of an organised group, to kill an officer of Latvia's State Border Guard in Daugavpils, a city in the country's south-east. According to prosecutors, the attack was connected with the officer's work combating the illegal trade in excise goods. The news portal Delfi learned of the case from information on the prosecution service's website.
The person who ordered the killing and the group
The person who commissioned the killing has not been identified in the investigation. This person set up an organised group that included at least four people from Ukraine and one Latvian citizen. The aim was to take revenge on the border guard for stopping the illegal trade in excise goods, and to ensure that the smuggling of such goods into Latvia would not be hindered in future.
How the attack was planned
The accused was tasked with finding two people to kill the border guard and arranging for them to travel from Ukraine to Lithuania. He found them and promised them payment. In October 2020 the two travelled to Lithuania and met the accused. He provided accommodation and money, showed them a photograph of the border guard and explained that the person pictured had to be killed. On his instructions, the two then travelled to Latvia.
The attack in Daugavpils
In November 2020, the attackers waited for the border guard in Daugavpils as he was cycling from his home. One sprayed tear gas into his eyes, while the other struck him on the head with a hammer. The officer managed to escape, so the attackers failed to carry out their plan. He suffered bodily injuries.
Prosecutors stress that no person is considered guilty until guilt for a criminal offence is established under the procedure set out in criminal procedure law.
