VID initiates criminal proceedings on bringing undeclared cash worth over EUR 400,000 into Latvia

RIGA - The State Revenue Service (VID) Tax and Customs Police have initiated criminal proceedings on the alleged movement of criminally acquired cash amounting to EUR 402,475 across the Latvian state border, the VID informed LETA.

VID reported that in February, during customs control measures on a car with German license plates at the Latvia-Lithuania border crossing point Grenctale, undeclared cash amounting to EUR 402,475 was discovered.

The vehicle was carrying a German national and a Moldovan national who had not declared the cash and could not explain and produce the documents of origin of the cash. 

The undeclared cash was seized and the persons detained, according to the VID. All the seized cash has been deposited in a Treasury account. The persons have been released and non-custodial measures have been imposed.

Criminal proceedings have been initiated on the offence of alleged money laundering, if committed on a large scale.

In the course of the criminal proceedings, five authorized searches were carried out, including four in Riga and one in Marupe municipality, during which additional cash - EUR 102,240, USD 45,466 and banknotes in other currencies - were seized.