Eight persons aged between 32 and 58 from Chisinau municipality and the districts of Telenesti and Orhei were arrested for 72 hours for illegally trading in ethyl alcohol. The police established that the group was managed by a former police officer aged 58. This caused damage of over 4 million lei to the state budget, IPN reports.

It was determined that the alcohol was purchased from an ethyl alcohol factory and was stored at a number of garages in Chisinau municipality. It was then transported to four clandestine bottling lines situated in the municipality. Three-four times a day, the suspects transported and sold about 3,000-4,000 liters of alcohol. During a month, they sold products to the value of about US$50,000.

As a result of searches, the police found and seized approximately 6,500 liters of ethyl alcohol, stoppers and empty bottles with the trademarks Kvint, Calarasi Divin, Stolichnaya, Pshenichnyi Spirt etc. The suspects could present no document or certificate to show that they were authorized to perform such activities. They face up to five years in jail over illegal entrepreneurial activities and tax evasion.