Two men were arrested on suspicion of dealing 9 million lei worth of synthetic drugs from 2017 to this July. Most of the proceeds were being converted to bitcoins. Further investigations are underway to bring all their accomplices to justice.
According to prosecutors, the drugs were imported into Moldova by mail from China or with passenger transportation. The suspects received orders online, in a closed group, and the clients were required to pay using digital wallets. There was never any direct contact between the dealers and the clients, as the drugs had to be picked up from random caches like under tree roots or under rocks. The money went to Russia and returned to Moldova via nine third-party accounts opened in the names of some vulnerable persons.
Searches revealed 600,000 lei and 1,000 euro in cash, bank cards, instruments for packaging drugs and a cash counting machine.
Drug dealing and money laundering are crimes punishable under Moldovan law by up to 15 years and 10 years, respectively.
