The State Security Service of Latvia has urged citizens to refrain from traveling to Russia and Belarus during the summer holidays due to high risks associated with intelligence activities, recruitment, and provocations. This information is reported by UNN with reference to the publication Delfi.
Details
According to the agency, Russian and Belarusian special services actively exploit opportunities to interrogate and recruit foreigners on their territory, where they have “wide freedom of action.” They use aggressive and illegal methods of pressure to coerce cooperation.
The Service emphasizes that the capabilities of Latvian institutions to help their citizens who find themselves in difficult situations in these countries are extremely limited
– reads the post.
High-risk groups for potential recruitment include:
officials of state and local authorities; law enforcement officers and employees who have access to information related to the National Armed Forces or NATO forces; representatives of strategically important enterprises, as well as those involved in providing assistance to Ukraine.
In addition, Russian special services consider Latvian citizens who need to regularly travel to Russia—due to work, family ties, property, and other circumstances—as convenient targets. These connections can be used as a means of pressure
– reports the State Security Service of Latvia.
If travel cannot be avoided, the service recommends not taking a mobile phone, especially if it contains work or confidential information, as data may be copied or the device infected with spyware at checkpoints.
They also advise using a simple phone with a prepaid SIM card that can be easily discarded upon return, and not taking a laptop, USB drives, etc.
Recall
The Saeima of Latvia adopted a law that prohibits citizens of Russia and Belarus, as well as associated companies, from purchasing real estate in the country. The decision, which will come into effect after being signed by the president, aims to enhance national security.