The Security and Intelligence Service jointly with the Prosecutor's Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases dismantled a criminal group specialized in illicit trafficking in consumer goods from Ukraine, via Transnistria, with the involvement of employees of national law enforcement bodies.
During special investigation measures carried out on November 9, two minibuses were detained in flagrante delicto, while carrying smuggled goods worth over 1,5 million lei.
At the same time, with the support of the Internal Protection and Anti-Corruption Service (SPIA) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), 3 members of the criminal group were detained, two of them being MIA employees. The fourth member of the group, also an employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, escaped to Transnistria. Immediately after their arrest, the responsible institutions conducted 12 searches at several addresses in the country.
The authorities will file charges against other persons as well, including MIA employees, regarding participation in the criminal group.
The illegal activity of the group was documented for 9 months. During this period of time, the law enforcement officers determined its modus operandi, travel routes, as well as locations of supply, storage and sale of the smuggled goods.
According to the materials of the criminal case, the goods were purchased from the “Seventh-Kilometer” market from Odessa, then 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 checkpoints.
We remind you that during the same investigation, another smuggling chain was dismantled, when officers seized consumer goods worth about 1 million lei and three vehicles used for illegal transportation.
Investigations into this case continue in order to establish the entire criminal area and to identify all the individuals involved. If the guilt of the detained persons is proven in court, they risk a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
