Criminal group engaged at least 50 teenagers in fake donation collections

RIGA - The State Police detained an organized group that engaged at least 50 minors in collecting fake donations, LETA was informed by the police.

On July 25, the Directorate Combating Serious and Organized Crime Combating opened criminal proceedings against a company not registered in Latvia, which had illegally engaged no less than 50 children to collect donations at the entrances of various shopping centers across Latvia.

The criminal proceedings involved a wide range of investigative actions, including three arrests. In early November, the court remanded two persons born in 2002 and 2005 in custody, and today, November 28, the court decided not to change the remand measures. The two of the detained are men - a Ukrainian and Latvian citizen, and a girl born in 2007 is a Latvian citizen.

The criminal proceedings established that, under the guise of a charitable foundation, the members of the organized criminal group engaged in trafficking in people for labor exploitation, which took the form of a job offer on an internet site inviting children from the age of 14 to become advertising agents. The job seekers were told that they did not need to know Latvian, and were offered flexible working hours and daily pay.

The children were given fake documents to justify their presence at the fundraising sites. The organizers provided false information to job applicants about the true nature of the work on offer, implicating them in criminal activities. Both children and donors were told that the collection box was organized for the treatment of seriously ill children in Europe. The minors were also trained on what to answer to questions asked during checks by the national or municipal police.

At the end of the day, each volunteer returned to their rented office in Riga with the day's collection, where the donation boxes were opened, the money counted and distributed. 20 percent were paid as a reward to the child who collected the donations, and the rest was distributed among the members of the organized group.

The investigation revealed that the donations were used to increase the welfare of the organizers, such as expensive electrical equipment, private trips, the purchase of intoxicating substances and other purposes. In total, the company illegally involved at least 50 children and obtained at least EUR 80,000 in funds. Donations were collected by shopping centers in Riga, Daugavpils and other cities.

The State Police also received important support in the investigation from the Riga Municipal Police.

Criminal proceedings have been initiated under Section 3 of the Criminal Code for trafficking in human beings if it endangered the life of the victim or caused serious consequences, or if it was committed with particular cruelty or against a minor, or if it was committed by an organized group.

The police will also investigate whether the group was engaged in money laundering.

This provision provides that this offence is punishable by imprisonment for a term of five to 15 years, with or without confiscation of property, and probation supervision for a term of up to three years, with or without confiscation of property.

An active investigation is ongoing. However, the police remind that the end of the year and the charity events often associated with it, including the collection of donations for various noble causes, is fast approaching, so citizens are urged to choose their fundraising organizations carefully and not to fall for scams.