Three persons, two of whom are border police officers, were arrested for attempting to illegally take 700,000 cigarettes out of the country. The two border police officers, one of whom holds an administrate post, are from northern Moldova. The arrest was made in Briceni, on the bank of the Prut, IPN reports.

The Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime and Special Cases said a person was arrested at the scene, while the other two persons who facilitated the smuggling scheme were apprehended during the day.

The suspects are aged between 23 and 40. They formed part of a criminal group that transported contraband over the Prut by using a basic mechanism similar to the funicular.

The 69 packs of cigarettes found in two units of transport and close to the bank of the Prut were confiscated. The three are to be charged and remanded in custody for 30 days.