Major drug seizure near Alūksne last weekend in Latvia at 3:25 am

“The operation was one of the most ambitious in recent times. Unmasking a drug mafia and more than a ton of synthetic drugs” – the state police described on Latvian television on Saturday, October 5, an operation in the municipality of Ziemeri, near Alūksne.

For days, local residents noticed the active interest of the police and special services in a building near Alūksne. On Friday, many people wearing white suits and gas masks could be seen in a warehouse area in Ziemeri municipality. Plastic barrels were taken from the basement outside the building. They were probably filled with chemicals, as evidenced by the pungent odor. The State Police confirm that this was one of the most ambitious operations ever.

“This is about combating criminal activities of an internationally organized group on the territory of Latvia. We are talking about the drug mafia. At this moment I can confirm that several persons have been arrested,” Armands Ruks, head of the state police, confirmed to Latvian television.

“We are talking about synthetic drugs, I will withhold the specific name of the substance at this time. This is one of the largest drug seizures in recent years. We are talking about a very large amount here. We’re talking more than a ton. We are still counting it all now, and the forensic tests are still to come.”

Fabric production equipment was also seized.

Criminal proceedings were taking place simultaneously in several Latvian cities, Ruks said. According to the state police, those arrested include persons who are not Latvian citizens. This has been a long-term operation, which Europol has also supported.

On Saturday, Latvian television met an employee of a nearby wood processing factory who was on duty on Wednesday, the day the police arrived. The man saw drones flying and four-wheelers driving through the area in the evening. He set out to find out why there was such a sudden interest in the building. The people replied that a special police operation was underway.

“I say, ‘Okay, thanks, goodbye,’ and go back. I was escorted to the end of the shed with a machine gun and a laser. If you ran away, they’d think it was one of them. There were four already lined up against the wall,” says Ilgvars, an employee of “Verners un draugi” Ltd.

Local residents had not noticed any activity in the building so far. Previously, the building, which covers an area of ​​approximately 1,000 square meters, produced humus from earthworms. But last year the property was sold, says Verners Kalējs, owner of Verners un draugi Ltd:

“Everything was open here, all the doors were open, everything was open, there was no one there. And then we noticed there was movement. There was something… I don’t know what they took… Some furniture… And most importantly, all the windows were boarded up from the inside. So you couldn’t see anything from the outside.”

The head of the state police emphasized that residents had no reason to worry.

“We understand the interest and concerns of both local residents and the media, but if we want the police to be successful in combating organized drug trafficking, no further information can be given during an active operation, when searches and other procedural actions take place. place.”