Latvia Detains 110 Chinese Fraud Suspects

Latvian police have arrested 110 Chinese suspects in a joint operation with Chinese authorities over telephone and internet fraud. The detainees are suspected of having stolen about 2m euros (￡1.8m; $2.3m) from people in China through scams.

It is not yet clear what form the scams took. A Latvian police officer said the ringleaders were believed to be among those caught. Raids took place at addresses in Riga, and the towns of Adazi and Saulkrasti. A Latvian citizen was also arrested, Latvia's Delfi news agency reported.

Border police are checking the Chinese suspects to see if any of them had entered the Baltic republic illegally. Criminal investigations chief Janis Lazdins said the two-month operation was launched after a tip-off from Chinese authorities. If the evidence is strong enough, Latvia may hand over suspects to China for prosecution.