On March 17 a Ukrainian citizen was detained at the Pāternieki border crossing for trying to bribe Border Guard officials, the Border Guard told the press.

The Ukrainian citizen was found not to have the mandatory health insurance policy when he tried to cross the border; upon discovering this, he tried bribing the Border Guard €5 to be allowed across.

Criminal proceedings were launched against the 1964-born man, with the prosecutor ordering a fine of €4,300 for the individual.

In Latvia, bribery carries a sentence of up to five years' imprisonment.

Last year, nine bribery attempts were reported by the Border Guard.