Five Latvian State Police officers detained over bribery from foreign truck drivers

Latvia's Internal Security Bureau (IDB) detained five State Police officers in late August on suspicion of accepting bribes, the LETA news agency reported, citing the bureau. The officers worked in traffic safety oversight within the State Police's Response Department.

Bribes tied to unrecorded violations

Investigators allege the officers accepted bribes from foreign cargo truck drivers in exchange for not formally recording administrative violations discovered during freight transport inspections. During procedural actions, investigators found and seized cash in various foreign currencies totaling several thousand euros. All five have been granted suspect status.

Custody and restrictions imposed

Three of the officers received security measures not involving detention, including a ban on holding certain professional positions. A court ordered the remaining two held in custody.

The pre-trial investigation is also examining whether the officers may be linked to document forgery related to transport oversight. According to the IDB, the case was uncovered in cooperation with the State Police itself.

Rising number of detentions

According to LETA calculations, 24 State Police officers have already been detained this year for various offenses. By comparison, the State Police's annual report for last year noted nine officers detained in 2025, one of them for a corruption-related crime, while the year before that saw 11 officers detained, also including one corruption case.