In Purvciems, Riga, Latvian police arrested a 17-year-old suspect involved in two armed robberies. The individual posed as a buyer through the messaging app Telegram, lured sellers to a meeting, and threatened them with a weapon-like object or knife before stealing their valuables. The youngest known victim of this robbery spree is a 14-year-old boy.

The initial robbery was reported to police on February 28, when the suspect responded to an advertisement on Telegram from a minor selling personal clothing. During the meeting, the suspect initially inspected the items before brandishing what appeared to be a firearm to steal the goods and flee the scene. Following the incident, the victim reported it to his father, who then encountered the suspect at a nearby grocery store in Purvciems, leading to a physical confrontation.

This confrontation culminated when the robber dropped his weapon. Consequently, anti-crime authorities are highlighting the importance of caution when conducting transactions through online platforms, particularly where young people are involved, emphasizing the need for safe practices in buyer-seller interactions to prevent similar incidents in the future.