Officers of the National Investigation Inspectorate, together with the Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Organised Crime and Special Cases (PCCOCS) and ‘Fulger’ (Lightning) brigade employees raided on August 11, with 12 more searches in the case of smuggling over 3.8 million cigarettes on July 31 at the Vulcănești-Vinogradovca border crossing point.

According to a press release issued by the Moldovan police, the raids took place in the town of Vulcănești, at the loading site of the truck concerned and the improvised warehouses, at the homes and in the cars of the owner of the parking lot, the founder and the manager of the transport company to which the truck belongs, as well as at the homes of two persons directly involved in loading the cigarettes onto the truck.

All four men, aged between 37 and 65, are citizens of Moldova and the transport company is registered in Romania, law enforcement officials said.

“Following searches and evidence previously gathered by law enforcement officers, the managers of the company and the car park, as well as the two people involved in loading the truck were detained this morning. Criminal proceedings are being carried out against the detained persons, the results of which will enable a decision to be taken on the preventive measure,” the statement added.

As for the result of the detention on 31 July and the hearing of the truck driver, he was placed under house arrest, a measure contested by PCCOCS prosecutors at the Cahul Court of Appeal, with a view to applying the measure initially requested – preventive detention.

Police say that investigations are ongoing in order to elucidate other aspects of the crimes committed, including the involvement in the scheme of the companies targeted in the 25 raids carried out the day before in six localities, during which those targeted are invoking the presumption of innocence, according to the law.

On 31 July, Border Police together with INI officers, PCCOCS prosecutors and the Customs Service uncovered a smuggling scheme at the exit of the country through Vulcanesti – more than 3.8 million cigarettes of various trademarks and with local excise stamps.

The lorry with the trailer was registered in Romania. It had a sealed door as the truck was in transit – a space in which the contraband had been camouflaged. The goods and the means of transport have been seized pending a decision on the case. The investigating authority is still taking all necessary steps to establish all persons involved in the crime. PCCOCS prosecutors will now determine the need to apply pre-trial detention to the detained man, who is presumed innocent by law for the duration of the prosecution.