Officers of the Security and Intelligence Service and Customs Service detained in flagrante delicto several members of a criminal group in a case on consumer goods smuggling, investigated together with the Prosecutor's Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases.
The criminal activity of the suspects has been documented during several months and sufficient evidence was gathered in order to charge the individuals for smuggling. As a consequence of special investigative measures and criminal investigation, officers determined the modus operandi of the group members, their travel routes, as well as places for storage and marketing of the smuggled goods.
Consumer goods were purchased from the “Seventh-Kilometer” market from Odessa, introduced into the country through the Transnistrian region and stored in the Security Zone. Consequently, the goods were taken by the other members of the criminal group, responsible for their transportation to the territory controlled by the constitutional authorities of the Republic of Moldova, circumventing internal customs posts.
Three members of the group were detained in flagrante delicto on August 16, 2021, following an ambush set up in the Căușeni District. As soon as they were detained, employees of the involved institutions conducted 10 searches at multiple addresses in the area. Therefore, consumer goods worth 900 thousand lei and three vehicles used for their transportation were seized.
Investigation on this case is still under way in order to establish the entire criminal area and to identify all the persons involved. If the guilt of the detained individuals is proven in court, they risk a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.