Four undeclared, presumably valuable violins, one of which could be a 1705 Stradivarius judging by its case, have been discovered in the luggage of a 35-year-old Moldovan.
The man was crossing the Leușeni checkpoint at the border with Romania aboard a passenger minibus en route to the United Kingdom.
The man initially declared he was carrying two violins, but upon closer scrutiny, four others were discovered. He could not produce any papers detailing the musical instruments’ origin or value. The four violins were seized for appraisal and further investigation.
In October 2021, when exiting Moldova through the Chisinau Airport, the internationally acclaimed Moldovan violinist Alexandra Conunova failed to declare her Guadagnini as a culturally valuable asset despite its papers saying exactly this. The violin was returned to her only two months later after she was able to present documents certifying her as a legitimate holder.
