The police identified and arrested three persons who are suspected of activities to justify the terrorist activity on Moldova’s territory. Two of the suspects were arrested in September. These are both foreign citizens, of Syria and Iraq, while the third is a citizen of Moldova and was arrested in October. The suspects are aged between 18 and 46 and were earlier tried, without being yet convicted, IPN reports.

Denis Rotaru, prosecutor of the Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases, told a news conference that criminal cases over justification of extremist activities were started against the three .The suspects, through the Internet, disseminated messages that justified and approved of the activities of different terrorist entities, especially of the Islamic State. “The last person arrested is suspected of creating an online communication platform on a social networking site through which he disseminated video messages that justified terrorist-extremist activity and incited to actions to finance organizations of the kind. The prosecutors are to establish if the suspects managed to contact terrorist-extremist entries from outside the country,” he stated.

The police suspect that the three were supported from outside. Iulian Caraman, division head at the Security and Intelligence Service, said the Republic of Moldova is not subject to direct terrorist threats. However, actions related to terrorism have been witnessed lately on the country’s territory. “The arrested Moldovan has been monitored by the SIS during the last two years. This converted to Islam a year ago. Through the agency of the communication platform, he promoted the ideology of the Islamic State, tried to obtain funds and to recruit Moldovan young people for supporting this organization. When it was established that the person was ready to commit a terrorist attack on the country’s territory, he was arrested and will stand trial,” he stated.

He added that unlike other cases examined earlier, this is more serious because it involves a Moldovan citizen who acted and planned recruitment actions on the country’s territory. “The young people can be easier influenced by radical movements. We call on the people to be more attentive and warn the law enforcement bodies by all ways possible when they have suspicions about a person or an action,” said Iulian Caraman.

The investigation of the three persons continues. The suspects face up to five years in jail.