Citation(s) from the GunPolicy.org literature library
European Commission. 2014 ‘Latvia.’ Study to Support an Impact Assessment on Options for Combatting Illicit Firearms Trafficking in the European Union, pp. 169-170. Luxembourg: Centre for Strategy & Evaluation Services. 1 July
Relevant contents
Provision on the criminalisation of illicit firearms trafficking: Latvia
Criminal Law Section 233 on Unauthorised Manufacture, Repair, Acquisition, Storage, Carrying, Transportation, Forwarding and Sale of Firearms, Firearm Ammunition, High-powered Pneumatic Weapons, Explosives and Explosive Devices, and Violation of Selling Regulations. [Text of legislation needed to confirm manufacturing, acquisition/sale are criminalised.] EU Directives are transposed by the Law on the Handling of Weapons and Special Means.
According to the national legislation (Criminal Law Section 190.1) such offences are punishable as Movement of Goods and Substances the Circulation of which is Prohibited or Specially Regulated across the State border of the Republic of Latvia, respectively,
(1) For a person who commits the moving of narcotic or psychotropic substances or the source materials (precursors) for the preparation of such substances, as well as radioactive or hazardous substances, goods of strategic importance or other valuable property, explosives, weapons and ammunition across the State border of the Republic of Latvia in any illegal way, the applicable punishment is deprivation of liberty for a term not exceeding five years or temporary deprivation of liberty, or community service, or a fine, with or without confiscation of property.
(2) For a person who commits the same acts, if they have been committed by a group of persons pursuant to prior agreement, or if they have been committed on a large scale, the applicable punishment is deprivation of liberty for a term not exceeding ten years, with or without confiscation of property.
(3) For a person who commits the same acts where committed in an organised group, the applicable punishment is deprivation of liberty for a term of not less than two years and not exceeding eleven years, with or without confiscation of property, with or without probationary supervision for a term not exceeding three years, with deprivation of the right to engage in entrepreneurial activity of a specific type or of all types or to engage in specific employment or the right to take up a specific office for a term not exceeding five years.