Ant attempt to illegally export amber was foiled. The National Anticorruption Center said the administrator of an international haulage firm was arrested at the Chisinau International Airport for attempting to take about 1 tonne of semiprecious amber stones out of Moldova, in cooperation with customs employees. The amber was to be smuggled to Hong Kong, IPN reports.

The consignment of about 1,000 kg of amber was to be loaded onto the Chisinau – Istanbul flight. A number of 32 places were reserved for the purpose. One kg of amber on the market costs US$1,500 to US$3,000. The attempt to smuggle the contraband was thwarted when the merchandise was transported over the state border.

The administrator of the haulage firm was placed under arrest for 72 hours. The load was seized. The prosecutors and prosecution officers are to identity all the decision makers of public institutions involved in this case.