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"The aim of the training is to maintain and improve the combat skills and abilities of the National Guard for the protection of the territories of responsibility of the National Guard units," said the National Armed Forces (NBS)
This is the first extensive company-level unit training for the 32nd Infantry Battalion of the National Guard this year
the National Guards underwent training in military specialties
Individual and collective training will be held every month until the comprehensive national defense exercises "Namejs"
repeating and acquiring new skills for conducting combat operations
"It is important that every National Guard member understands his role and responsibility
improves the skills that he individually needs the most
and finds his place in the planning and organization of combat operations," said Major Zigmārs Krišāns
commander of the 32nd Infantry Battalion of the National Guard
Training tasks will be performed both in daylight and darkness in territories agreed upon with the municipalities of Ludza and Rēzekne regions and private landlords
Stoļerova parishes of Rēzekne region to follow the current information about the training and to be responsible and supportive. Military equipment
soldiers and guards with small arms will move during the training
Training ammunition and combat simulation equipment will be used to perform training tasks
which create noise but do not in any way endanger human health and life
Training venues will be cleaned after training
Anyone seeing suspicious activity near the border can report it to police or the National Coordination Center of the State Border Guard
using the 24-hour hotline +371 67075616 or +371 67075718
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People in Ludza receive information about what is happening in the region via the internet
but for older people who do not use the internet
or it is simply not available in certain areas
or by posting notices on bulletin boards in towns and parish centers
noted that for the elderly the newspaper was a source of information about what was happening in the municipality - cultural events
"More people used "Ludzas Zeme" on the spot in the library
because we don't deliver it to their homes
People were more interested in the last page
where there were advertisements about what was for sale
they don't use it. So for many it is important," said Trukšane
where mostly Russian-speaking residents live
there is practically no information about what is going on in the municipality lately
"There is practically no local information
It is bad without a newspaper because that is where we get our information
It is clear that there is no information from Ludza municipality in the big newspapers
People in their old age who could not buy this expensive newspaper could read it in the library
Now they don't have this possibility and there is nowhere to get information."
There has long been talk of strengthening the regional press to ensure that independent journalism continues to exist in the regions and that information voids do not form
regional newspapers are holding their own by taking part in various projects and using the money to pay journalists' salaries
as media expert Ingemārs Vekteris pointed out
either by creating their own digital platforms or by several media merging and producing information for a much wider range of consumers
the consumption of information on social media has been growing very rapidly
Social media is not a place where an editorially independent media outlet can make very good money
We also understand that the evolution of the business environment requires quite tough decisions - like merging media
We will also be talking about artificial intelligence very soon
and those local media need to be pushed and supported
because the market is small and getting smaller
And the media is a matter of national security
there will still be information on the border
but the question is who will produce it and for what purpose," Vekteris said
two options are currently being discussed with the deputies: either to renew the municipality's newsletter
which can cost the municipality up to €100,000 per year
or to announce a tender for the placement of municipal information in one of the regional newspapers
"An alternative option would be to publish a municipal newsletter
This newsletter will be published once a month and the law also regulates what information could be included
obituaries, advertising and many things that the municipality cannot afford because the law forbids it
we can also consider continuing cooperation with commercial publications
then residents will be able to subscribe to these newspapers and receive more information about the municipality."
Rihards Kozlovskis (New Unity) explained on Monday
on Latvian Television's "Morning Panorama" that this is one of the most ambitious such operations found in Europe in recent times
Among the 32 detained persons are both Latvian and Ukrainian citizens
It was not a one-day job," the minister said
Subsequent information provided by police revealed that the illegal cigarette factory was located in Ludza
where 25 Ukrainian citizens were working illegally
It is believed to be part of a much larger international group that has also expanded its illegal cigarette production to Great Britain
Spain and several other European countries
Police chief Armands Ruks said at a press conference on Monday that the illegal tobacco ring had been engaged in its illegal business worth hundreds of millions of euros for several years and the investigation is still ongoing in several European countries.
The group was involved in cigarette production
as well as supporting illegal migration and illegal employment
It operated widely across the European Union
and former EU member state the United Kingdom
The police chief thanked partners in Lithuania
The bootleg products were sold in countries where the price of cigarettes is higher
because production was far greater than the Latvian domestic market could consume
Ruks informed that the illegally produced cigarettes made their way to Central European and Nordic markets without specifying the precise countries
The delivery of cigarettes was organized both by truck and by sea.
Ruks said that the leader of the group – an unnamed Latvian national – had been in the sights of law enforcement for more than two years
The group's leader was arrested in June and remains in custody on suspicion of money laundering
A total of 100 properties worth 13 million euros
and a fleet of restored luxury retro cars were seized during searches in both Spain and Latvia
The kingpin's "ambitious lifestyle shows how far this character and the group could expand
given the resources at their disposal," Ruks said
The police chief also revealed that the leader had been creative in organizing logistics chains for transporting illegal goods in Europel
found warehouses with finished products and detained seven people – six Latvian nationals and one Russian citizen who lived in Latvia
Meanwhile the State Border Guard conducted eight searches in Ludza
and detained 25 Ukrainians at the Ludza factory
who were engaged in the illegal production of "Marlboro"
The illegal cigarette factory with production equipment and raw materials contained almost 300 million cigarettes and an astonishing 47 tonnes of shredded tobacco leaves
the police informed the media in a statement
If such a quantity of cigarettes were to end up on the illegal market in Latvia
the total loss to the treasury would be 70–80 million euros
In turn the State Border Guard seized:
Police believe that the criminals have been involved in the illegal production of cigarettes for more than 10 years
The Lithuanian Customs Criminal Service and Europol provided support to the State Police in this investigation
President of Latvia Egils Levits met with local business and community members to discuss the future of the new region from the perspective of education
youth opportunities and overall development of the region
President commented the situation in the border areas by saying that there needs to be a special policy
which has become even more evident since Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February
‘Balanced development of whole Latvia requires special policy for border areas
Policy addressing the needs of Ludza and other regions on the external border of the European Union and NATO
Regional policy should give a just consideration to that,’ President of Latvia said
After hearing the opinions of local community about regional reform
President of Latvia reminded that the purpose of the reform was to create bigger regions population-wise to improve the municipal services that are available
Egils Levits also reiterated that he has urged several times already to include the right to democratically elect district and town-level community councils in the new Local Government Law
and thus strengthen the role of local communities in deciding how region should evolve
President of Latvia met with Chair of Ludza Regional Council Edgars Mekšs
Deputy Chair of Ludza Regional Council Ināra Silicka
Commander of Ludza Division of State Border Guard Valdis Jukšs
Headmaster of Juris Soikāns Art School in Ludza Sandra Vorkale
Art Director of Cibla Folk Collective ‘Ilžas’ Dace Tihovska
Ludza region Business Coordinator Jānis Romancāns and Zilupe Youth Councellor and winner of Ludza region Youth Prize Ladder Valērija Groma
Ludza region has become an amalgamation of four regions: Cibla
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Police seized 300,000,000 cigarettes during the operation
Latvian police arrested 32 people last week after discovering an illegal tobacco factory and seizing cigarettes worth €75 million
The Latvian State Police (Valsts policija) and the Latvian State Border Guard (Valsts robežsardze) worked together to dismantle a criminal network involved in illegal tobacco production
officers discovered a massive illegal cigarette manufacturing site in Ludza
which was fully equipped with production machinery and raw materials
It was being used to manufacture counterfeit cigarettes under well-known brand names
The discovery led to 32 people being arrested
almost 300 million cigarettes and approximately 47 tonnes of shredded tobacco leaves were seized
had these cigarettes entered the Latvian market
the state would have lost more than €75 million
Searches were conducted simultaneously at multiple locations
with state police carrying out 26 searches in Riga
These searches resulted in the discovery of warehouses containing cigarettes and the detention of seven individuals
the State Border Guard carried out eight searches in Ludza
detaining the 25 Ukrainians at the Ludza factory
including GPS signal jammers and detectors
The investigation was supported by Europol
which provided analytical support to the authorities involved and also organised operational meetings and provided remote support during the searches
The Lithuanian Customs Criminal Service (Muitinės kriminalinė tarnyba) also supported this investigation and initiated several follow-up criminal cases related to illegal tobacco production and money laundering
Several people who had been linked to the network's criminal activities and involved in laundering illicit funds in Latvia were detained prior to the operation
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Latvian authorities dismantled a large illegal cigarette factory last week
The massive illegal manufacturing site was fully equipped with production machinery and raw materials
Police detained 32 people and seized nearly 300 million cigarettes
along with approximately 47 tons of leaf tobacco
they would have deprived the Latvian state of more than €75 million in revenues
discovering warehouses containing cigarettes and detaining seven individuals
including six Latvian and one Russian national
the state border guard carried conducted eight searches in Ludza
detaining 25 Ukrainian nationals at the Ludza factory
where counterfeit cigarettes were being manufactured under well-known brand names
and the Lithuanian Customs Criminal Service
©2025 Nicotine Resource Consortium
Take note – story published 8 years and 8 months ago
The Great Synagogue of Ludza in Latvia's east is a unique Jewish heritage site
The wooden building is at least 200 years old and is to be unveiled following a restoration lasting over a year
The synagogue houses several exhibitions about the life of Jews in Ludza
along with an exhibition featuring works by documentary director Herz Frank and his father, the pre-World War II Ludza photographer Wulf Frank.
The Great Synagogue of Ludza was granted the status of national monument in 2013
It's located in the historical center of the city and you can see its bright red facade from the nearby lake
however the true riches of the place lie in its history
where men used to pray," said Valērijs Dzevaltovskis
leading Latvian Radio through the synagogue.
"At the higher level of the room we can see its old ornament
The ceiling is preserved with both the authentic color and the authentic look
You can see that the ceiling was taped with newspapers
of which a few fragments have been left there intentionally," said Dzevaltovskis
The Great Synagogue of Ludza is the oldest synagogue in the Baltics
During its 200-year lifespan it has been rebuilt several times
survived two fires and miraculously remained intact during the second world war
Currently the museum houses a total of four exhibitions dedicated to the history of the local Jewish community
features an exhibit dedicated to the Latvian-Israeli documentary director Herz Frank and his father
Photo: Iveta ČigānePhoto: Iveta ČigānePhoto: Iveta ČigānePhoto: Iveta ČigānePhoto: Iveta ČigānePhoto: Iveta ČigānePhoto: Iveta ČigānePhoto: Iveta ČigānePhoto: Iveta ČigānePhoto: Publicitātes attēlsPhoto: Publicitātes attēlsPhoto: Publicitātes attēlsPhoto: Publicitātes attēls
While the former women’s gallery houses an exhibition on the history of the Ludza Jewish community
The restoration cost more than €400,000, with bulk of the funding obtained from the EEA Grants/Norway Grants program. Full details of the project in English can be read HERE
The Great Synagogue will be unveiled on Thursday afternoon with visits from the Israeli ambassador and other dignitaries
Following the announcement of partial mobilisation in Russia
on 27 September Latvia’s government decided to declare a state of emergency in multiple regions bordering Russia until December
One border checkpoint will be closed down until then
Considering Russia’s decision to announce partial mobilisation in the country
which is intended to increase and prolong the war in Ukraine
and the need to prevent possible threats to Latvia’s domestic security
the government decided to declare a state of emergency in multiple border-crossing points and several regions
The state of emergency is planned to last from 28 September until 27 December 2022
A state of emergency is therefore declared in Alūksne
The legislative draft published online mentioned Augšdaugava as well
but the Ministry of the Interior clarified that the government decided to declare a state of emergency only the three aforementioned regions for now
Considering increased pressure from illegal immigration from Belarus
Latvia’s government declared a state of emergency in Ludza
The state of emergency was extended multiple times
with the current extension to last until 10 November 2022
Ludza is located on the border with Russia and Belarus
The government also decided to close Pededze border checkpoint and ordered the State Border Guard to intensify control over Latvian-Russian border
The border guard is also ordered to intensify checks of Russian citizens
Latvia’s government ordered National Armed Forces
State Police and State Security Service to assist the State Border Guard
Minister of the Interior Kristaps Eklons said after the announcement of the government’s decision that the situation on the Russian and Belarusian border remains stable and peaceful – everything is under control
the situation in Russia requires decisive action
On Tuesday the government also went through reports on possible security risks
Thanks to the state of emergency the state border guard will have access to appropriate resources and will have an advantage for responses to possible security risks
The number of patrols and checks at border checkpoints will be increased as well
Pededze border checkpoint will be closed in order to optimise resources and diver border guards to bigger border checkpoints
the state of emergency will also apply to railway stations
airports and sea ports in order to increase control over the influx of Russian citizens crossing the border there
The minister said that the Finnish government also considers partially limiting travel to its country
«In parallel we continue working on a more measured approach in dealing with Russian residents in Europe
we understand there can be no unified approach
This is why our goal is protecting our own region
This is why we will monitor airports and sea ports,» said Eklons
Costs that surface from the declaration of the state of emergency will be taken from the state budget
If institutions entrusted with specific functions request additional funding
the government will pull funding from the state budget for emergencies
Following Russia’s announcement of partial mobilisation
the objective of which is intensifying and prolonging the war in Ukraine
there has been an increase of the number of Russian citizens leaving the country
This means there is a possibility the situation on the Latvian-Russian border
with Latvia having adopted restrictions for Russian citizens to cross the border
there is a risk of people trying to cross the border illegally
According to the Ministry of the Interior and the State Border Guard
since mid-September entry to Latvia has been denied to 57 Russian citizens
whereas 2 475 Russian citizens have been allowed to enter the country
2 332 citizens of neighbouring countries have left Latvia since then
Entry to Latvia is permitted only in specific exceptional cases
Most of the people who have been allowed to enter Latvia since the adoption of restrictions are relatives of Latvian citizens
transport and passenger service providers and sailors
1 310 people allowed to enter Latvia have residence permits
16 Russian citizens have requested asylum in Latvia since the announcement of mobilisation in Russia
Most listed disagreement with Russia’s ongoing policy or political persecution as the main reason for requesting asylum
One Russian citizen was issued a visa for humanitarian reasons – to attend a funeral
Also read: Reports coming in about major gas leaks from both Nord Stream pipelines in Baltic Sea
The Latvian News Agency reported that since December 2024
the State Border Guard has been conducting a criminal investigation against an organized crime syndicate producing counterfeit cigarettes in the towns of Ludza
and Daugavpils that have led to numerous searches
Police believe this illegal production has been ongoing for 10 years
including 25 Ukrainians who were arrested at a factory in Ludza where they were producing counterfeit cigarettes to be passed off as Marlboro
That raid seized 300 million cigarettes and 47 tons of shredded tobacco leaves
as well as property worth €13 million and a fleet of refurbished retro-luxury cars
Had the illegal cigarettes ended up on the Latvian market
officials said the total loss to the state would have been more than €75 million
Take note – story published 4 years and 4 months ago
Municipalities in each planning region were also celebrated as the winners of their respective groups – Ādaži for Riga planning region
Alsunga for Kurzeme region and Tērvete for Zemgale planning region
following ten remote presentations given by local municipalities
the competition evaluation committee awarded the highest number of points to those municipalities that demonstrated their persistent work in 2020
improving services and offer for families according to their capabilities and individual situation
as proven by the feedback from the inhabitants of the municipalities
"The winner of 2020 – Ludza municipality – stands out with its openness to diversity of views
care for a well-designed infrastructure and its accessibility
as well as new specialists of their respective fields
all of which facilitates the return of ex-patriate Latvians to their municipality," organizers of the competition said
"The municipalities highlighted in this competition have great experience in creating a family-friendly environment that will be useful as a source of inspiration for other municipalities
According to the competition’s evaluation committee
Ludza municipality has listened to its residents
evaluated the findings of last year's competition
and this is reflected in its growth and success in 2020,” said Zaiga Pūce
Director of the Society Integration Fund while congratulating this year's winners
The goal of the Social Integration Fund is a cohesive society in which everyone
promotes a strong and child-friendly environment around them
The competition “Most Family-Friendly Municipality" is one of the ways for achieving this goal
9 municipalities have been honoured in the competition
with 5 municipalities receiving special prizes from the supporters of the competition
Take note – story published 4 years and 8 months ago
they knew how to grow," said State Police Latgale region Ludza municipality criminal police chief Valdis Rutkovskis
Law enforcement has found marijuana plants in apartments
others in Krāslava and Ludza municipalities
said State Police Latgale region representative Lāsma Kursīte
"The largest amount of dried marijuana this year was 8 kilograms
so it is tough to say whether the number will be greater or lesser this year," said Kursīte
Illegal growing of plants containing narcotic substances can result with a prison sentence of up to two years
But large volumes can also lead to imprisonment of up to five years
The case in Ludza might be classified as a large volume
The State Police and the State Border Guard detained a total of 32 persons and discovered an illegal cigarette production facility in an ambitious joint operation in Ludza and Rīga on 10 December last year
Criminal proceedings were carried out simultaneously in several locations
The State Police carried out 26 authorised searches in Riga
identifying warehouses with finished products and detained seven persons - six Latvian citizens and one Russian citizen
The State Border Guard carried out eight searches in Ludza
and 25 Ukrainians were detained at the Ludza factory
where they were involved in the production of illegal Marlboro
the State Border Guard completed the investigation of a criminal case against 25 Ukrainian citizens for illegal manufacture
and sent it to the Prosecutor's Office of South Latgale for prosecution
The Latgale Regional Police Directorate will carry out the pre-trial investigation in the criminal proceedings against the other members of the organised group
Take note – story published 1 year and 1 month ago
The burning of last year's grass in the fields in early spring – which is illegal – is still a fairly common practise
750 grass fires were registered in Latvia
many have already been recorded in several regions of Latvia
the burning has been restricted to small areas
because in many places there is still snow on the ground and grass is wet
but the firefighters are anxiously waiting for the warmer weather promised by the forecasters
several grass fires have already been registered this year
Now the ground is covered in black ash and the smell of burning still lingers in the air to testify to the recent fire here
we can only guess – railway workers said they did not see anything
Commander of the Rēzekne division of the State Fire and Rescue Service (VUGD)
Viktors Ščavinskis, explained that the firefighters have received a new fire engine and equipment
and that four vacant positionsin their team will be filled in the near future
but this alone is not enough to tackle the expected workload when kūla season is in full swing
have been registered in the district of Rēzekne
The first one was registered with us on March 5
but based on the information provided by the fire witnesses and landowners
the arsonists can be divided into three groups
He stated: "The first group is middle-aged people and retirees who consider burning grass to be a cheap way to clean up the grass
The second group we have are children and teenagers who are playing around or deliberately burn things
and the third group includes careless smokers who throw away an unextinguished cigarette
the number of wildfires in Latvia halved
As VUGD representative Viktorija Gribuste emphasized
this is most likely not related to a change in the habits of the population
but to the weather conditions of last spring
which meant new green grass grew very quickly
difficult to predict what this year will be like
165 wildfires have been extinguished throughout Latvia
though that the burning season hasn't really started yet We are looking at the weather forecast for Easter with great concern as it is currently forecast to be warm and sunny
there will be four holidays which unfortunately in our experience means that this combination suggests a large and extensive the number of fires," noted Gribuste
Individuals found guilty of setting a grass fire face a fine of from 180 to 700 euros
this year also the VUGD will cooperate with the Rural Support Service
to which it will provide information on the kūla burning sites
which could result in farmers forfeiting part of the European Union support payments
As previously reported by LSM
the first grass fires this year were recorded early – January 8.
that the burning of grass is prohibited and subject to penalties. Despite the warnings and cases of damage to property and human health and life
burning the previous year's grass in Latvia is still seen as almost a national sport or tradition among certain parts of society
Members of the public should call 112 if a grass fire or any other dangerous fire is spotted
Take note – story published 3 years and 2 months ago
Ludzas maiznīca, which employs 110 people
has been on the market for bread and pastry products for 30 years
Member of the company's board Jevgeņijs Lukašenoks said that for its new gluten-free production
almost all raw materials are sourced in Latgale
a member of the association for celiac patients “Life without gluten”
also confirmed the fact that people who need gluten-free food in Latvia normally have to buy food produced abroad
"It must be acknowledged that foreign products are dominant in shops and internet shops
There are a few companies in Latvia that produce gluten-free products in stores," said Koroņevska
Kārlis Zemešs, head of the Latvian Bakers Association
said that the pandemic and the recent rise in energy prices have caused a lot of problems for bakers
so the production of gluten-free products launched by the Ludza bakery could be one of the survival opportunities and perhaps also development opportunities
I think bakers are looking for a chance to survive these times and provide work for their company
[..] I think they have done market research and this is not such a reckless step," said Zemešs
A special permit is needed if persons over 15 are visiting zones in the border area
Recently the public has been increasingly violating these rules
the State Border Guard and tourism specialists hope to improve mutual communication
and to inform the public more about the procedures for filling passes
The Burial-mound of Friendship (Draudzības kurgāns) in Pasiene parish is one of the most popular tourism sites in the border area of Latvia
The site is adjacent to Russia and Belarus
There is a requirement for a special permit
but many tourists are unaware that it is mandatory
The area is also cordoned off and signs are installed that it is a border area
we had eight violations detected and already 18 this year
people are maybe restrained from those mass gatherings
arriving somewhere from the other end of Latvia to see how the border looks in real life,” said the chief of the border guard department of Pasiene
For infringements, administrative responsibility can range from a warning to a fine of up to €500. The State Border Guard said that a special pass in the two-kilometer border zone is necessary for tourism, as well as to go berry-picking, mushrooming and other activities. The pass may be requested on the latvija.lv portal and shall be examined within three working days
The tourism information center of Ludza has observed
an approval or denial of the pass is difficult to find
and businesses are also breaking the rules
"There were a number of companies that organized hikes or other activities in the border area
Perhaps there is an opportunity to improve communication in some way and to improve the procedures and system for setting up the permit itself
not everyone is working in a digital environment at the moment," said the Head of Ludza Tourism information center Līga Kondrāte
To find out more about the request and receipt of permits
one may call an informative phone line of the border guard
The situation was stable and the flow of travelers wad relatively low
there was more activity on the other side of the border
At least two mobile polling stations for the so-called "elections" of the Russian President had been set up just behind the "Grebņeva" border checkpoint
"The Russian side had not officially informed us about any such thing
but we found out through a survey of border crossers that two mobile polling stations are located on the opposite side in Ubilinka
they are not popular and they did not see any bustle or active movement
but nothing is happening," said Colonel Jurijs Vlasovs
head of the Ludza administration of the State Border Guard
told Latgale regional television only behind the scenes that fake news may have been made near the buses
the three Russian citizens encountered on Latvian territory did not like the interview questions and looked for reasons to end the conversation
Other border crossers stressed that they were not interested in politics
the responsibility for ensuring that the "elections" are fair lies with Russia itself
around 170 Russian citizens crossed into Russia at Grebneva and Terehova
The State Border Guard has observed that the majority of those crossing the border in one direction or the other during the weekend are those with dual citizenship
the reasons are domestic and the trips are planned in advance
"No Russian citizens were found who expressed or declared their intention to go and vote
no Russian citizens were found who went to the Russian side for a short period of time and returned," Vlasovs explained
Take note – story published 3 years and 8 months ago
In order to address the illegal border crossing crisis that has occurred on the border of Latvia-Belarus
the Ministry of Interior has established an Operational Management Center
which also involves local governments located in the border area
One of the issues currently being addressed is to find a suitable building where border offenders could be housed if necessary
There is still room in the accommodation center for detained foreigners in Daugavpils
but the capacity has been exhausted in the asylum seeker center Mucenieki
It cannot be predicted how the situation will evolve
It is therefore necessary to be prepared for different scenarios
a total of more than 470 people have been detained for illegally crossing the country's border
"Today we are talking about 14 people who have been admitted and are at this center
There are children and also persons who needed medical treatment," said Interior Ministry spokesman Dimitrijs Trofimovs
Municipalities have offered schools and other buildings but none have met the criteria yet. The building must have central heating
and the premises must be spacious enough to enable epidemiological safety to be observed
The State Secretary of the Ministry of Interior acknowledged that options are also being examined outside the border area
it would be more beneficial from a logistical point of view that it is closer to the border
if we do not have the possibility to work in the border area
And then try to understand what it means if this facility is much farther away
we have expanded this geography of search,” Trofimovs said
The ideal option would be a service hotel-type facility that would meet the requirements
ministries and State Real Estate have been addressed
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AgustaWestland is pleased to announce that the two AW109 Power light twin helicopters ordered by Ministry of the Interior of Latvia for State Border Guard have entered service
Operational readiness was officially announced during a ceremony held in Ludza on October 26th celebrating the fifth Anniversary of the State Border Guard Aviation Service and the opening of new Ludza Base’s facilities
Chief of State Border Guard of Latvia General Gunars Dabolins and delegations from Finnish
Russian and Belarusian Border Guard services attended the event
These AW109 Powers will be used by the State Border Guard Aviation Service for patrolling the eastern European border and other law enforcement missions
Procurement of the helicopters is being financed by the European Community using Schengen Facility programme funds
The Border Guard helicopters will be equipped with latest generation FLIR
search light and a Night Vision Goggles compatible cockpit
The beginning of operational activities of the Latvian State Border Guard’s AW109 Powers follows the one of the first AW139 medium twin helicopter operated by Estonia Border Guard which entered service this month
demonstrating AgustaWestland’s commitment to provide European Union State members with state-of-the-art technology and a complete range of products and services to meet the most stringent requirements for homeland security purposes
The AW109 Power is a highly versatile twin engine helicopter that is used for a wide range or commercial and government roles and offers the highest levels of performance with low operating costs
it sets the new standard in its class in the world market to an extent that it can be considered as the fastest twin with the lowest cost per nautical mile
the AW109 Power is perfectly suited for homeland security
patrolling and law enforcement duties offering all weather capability
value for money in both acquisition and operating costs
safety for the crew and the public they serve
The AW109 Power can be endowed with an impressive range of dedicated equipment tailored on a customer demand basis
The ability to change the interior configuration ensures exceptional versatility to support the role
The AW109 Power has been selected for border guard
homeland security and law enforcement tasks by agencies from several countries such as Italy
Nearly 430 helicopters have been ordered to date for both commercial and government purposes from almost 50 countries
The AW109 Power range of roles also includes VIP/corporate
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