The National Anticorruption Center provided details about the searches carried out at the Sculeni and Leuseni customs posts on November 1. Thirty persons were arrested, including 14 customs officers, three border police officers, six economic operators and seven drivers, on corruption-related charges, IPN reports.

In a press briefing, head of the Center’s Prosecution Davison Bogdan Zumbreanu said the operation was performed within a criminal case started this January over falsification of documents, abuse of power, giving and taking of bribe for fraudulently using interbus cards by passenger carriers abroad. It was established that the data in interbus cards were falsified and more than one buses used such a card, or other cards than those presented when leaving Moldova were presented at the border with other states.

Bogdan Zumbreanu said the Customs Service employees received sums ranging from €20 to €650 for not documenting illegalities related to the use of interbus cards.

The searches started at 6am. Internal use cards and other documents were seized within the 44 searches.

The suspects will be held on remand for 72 hours initially. The prosecutors will decide whether to ask for arrest warrants for them or not. Those arrested face up to ten years behind bars.