In the last week, the Latvian Prison Administration (IeVP) reported multiple incidents involving attempts to deliver prohibited substances and items to inmates in Valmiera, Liepaja, and Riga Central Prison. These smuggling attempts highlight ongoing challenges related to prison security and the illegal trafficking of contraband, raising concerns about inmate safety and management within the penal system.

In Riga Central Prison, guards discovered a hidden memory card concealed within a bar of soap, while a postal package contained a letter with an unknown substance in the adhesive area of its envelope. Similarly, in Liepaja Prison, authorities found ten laminated business cards, which were suspected of housing a fentanyl patch. In Valmiera Prison, an envelope in a postal package contained a white powdery substance, which was also of unknown origin and packed in a transparent polyethylene cover.

These incidents underline the pressing issue of contraband in Latvian prisons, prompting the IeVP to remind the public that delivering prohibited substances and items to incarcerated individuals is subject to administrative or criminal penalties. The substances and items seized have been handed over to the State Police for further investigation and potential legal action, indicating a rigorous response from authorities to combat these security threats in the prison system.