On Oct. 19, the State Revenue Service announced that it had uncovered an attempt to smuggle more than six kilograms of drugs into Latvia from Lithuania on Oct. 16. The drugs included four kilograms of cocaine and 7,200 MDMA (the active ingredient in ecstasy) tablets. The total street value of the drugs amounted to 228,000 lats (324,414 euros). SRS officers detained a Latvian citizen driving an 'Audi A6' at the Grenctale border crossing point after noticing a suspicious attachment on the back of the car. Upon further inspection, the officers found hidden compartments containing the drugs. Police have launched a criminal investigation into the case.
Latvian officials have voiced satisfaction about the new EU reform treaty, which is due to be signed at the Dos Jeronimos monastery in Portugal on Dec. 13 and take effect on Jan. 1, 2009. The treaty allows Latvia to keep all nine of its seats in the European parliament. The new treaty is the result of six years of negotiation and is meant to replace the European constitution, which was shot down by France and the Netherlands in 2005. The agreement provides for institutional reform, a stronger EU wide foreign policy and a more comprehensive security policy.
Baiba Kozlovska, the mother of a ten-year-old girl who was found murdered on Sept. 8 in the southern-Latvian town of Dobele, was released from jail on Oct. 19. Riga investigators have now taken over control of the case from the Dobele police. Her friend and alleged accomplice in the murder remains in detention. Kozlovska has repeatedly denied any involvement in her daughter's murder, and has questioned police on their methods in solving the case.
The education and science ministry announced on Oct. 23 that it was preparing to propose a special bill making it mandatory for broadcasters to ensure that important sporting events are available to the entire population. The draft amendments envisage broadcasters being required to ensure that at least 95 percent of the population has access to important sporting events. Important events include the Olympics or any world championship in which Latvians compete. Representatives of the ministry said that the bill was put forward in response to the limited number of people who were able to view the recent women's basketball European championships.
Representatives of the Riga criminal police told journalists on Oct. 22 that 29 elderly people have been swindled out of nearly 29,000 lats (41,200 euros) this year alone. The police noted that the majority of cases have been ones in which the con artists called elderly Latvian residents and told them that one of their relatives had been arrested, and the only way to save their relative was to pay the fraudsters a large amount of money. Police have detained a number of Lithuanian citizens in connection with the fraud.
