The Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Organized Crime (PCCOCS) said it has opened a criminal case that treats the recent series of hoax bomb threats as “acts of terrorism”.

This was done to facilitate the cooperation of Moldovan investigators with anti-terror agencies in foreign jurisdictions, and expedite the latter's responses in light of the urgency of the matter.

The case was opened in light of the “progress” made in the investigations, the Office said, without providing details as to how close investigators got to identifying the perpetrators.

For comparison, whereas in 2021, 25 hoax bomb threats were recorded in Moldova, in the first half of this year alone the number surged to 245. Investigations carried out so far suggest Russian and Belarusian locations might be involved, and the Moldovan authorities believe the purpose is to “induce anxiety” and test the response capacities of governmental agencies.