About 20 cargo minibuses were fraudulently introduced into the Republic of Moldova. The suspects allegedly used false documents and brough the vehicles through prior agreement with employees of the Customs Service, the Public Services Agency and the Border Police. On Sunday, law enforcement officers carried out searches at the homes of suspects and in the service offices of civil servants, IPN reports.

The actions were documented by officers of the Internal Protection and Anticorruption Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, under the leadership of the Prosecutor's Office for Organized Crime and Special Cases. The criminal case refers to the allegedly illegal actions of an organized criminal group consisting of 12 members, aged between 24 and 47 years.

They, together with civil servants, organized the transportation of the 20 cargo minibuses. In the customs clearance process, the carriers and organizers presented non-authentic documents for the transport units. Subsequently, these were used to register the units of transport as vehicles intended for the transportation of goods and persons, with up to 7-9 seats. The information did not coincide with that in the primary official documents of the transport units in the country of origin.

Sunday's searches were carried out in several districts in the north of the country. These are the homes of extras and the service offices of civil servants within the ASP, customs inspectors and border guards. Within them, the primary documents of the transport units, introduced into the territory of the Republic of Moldova by smuggling, financial means in considerable proportions, the origin of which are presumed to be from the illegal activity of the criminal group, were seized.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the suspects are being investigated outside remand. The real number of smuggled vehicles is to be determined and other persons involved in the criminal scheme are to be identified.

In this connection, the Public Services Agency announced that it actively communicated with law enforcement agencies and provides all the necessary support for the full elucidation of the documented cases. The Customs Service also issued a press release condemning any involvement in illegal activities and reiterated its commitment to the principles of integrity and transparency.