Border Police dismantle 90s-style gang
An international criminal group that specialized in organizing illegal migration, drug trafficking, blackmail, and extortion has been dismantled by the Border Police, with the operation led by the Edineț Prosecutor's Office in Briceni. Authorities stated that the success of this operation was made possible through the exchange of information between the border authorities of the Republic of Moldova and Romania.
"As a result of special investigative measures and criminal prosecution actions carried out within the framework of a criminal case under examination, it was established that a well-organized criminal group was active on the territory of the Republic of Moldova, about which there is a reasonable suspicion that it would be involved in a wide range of crimes," the Border Police statement states.
The institution specifies that the group "had a clear internal hierarchy and strict rules of conduct, respecting the criminal subculture of the 1990s". The leaders selected people "with a criminal past or in vulnerable situations, to whom they assigned well-defined roles".
According to the authorities, the members of the group acted in a coordinated manner to facilitate the illegal passage of migrants through the Republic of Moldova to the European Union, providing them with transportation and temporary shelter, and in return they obtained large sums of money.
The investigations showed that the migrants were transported across the Prut River “including by using inflatable boats and their own means of transport”. At the same time, “the leaders of the group resorted to means of coercion, threats and physical violence against members who did not fulfill the assigned tasks”.
On October 13, 2025, border guards conducted searches at the homes of several people involved. “Following the procedural actions, material evidence was seized, including weapons, ammunition, mobile phones, SIM cards, bank cards and other goods relevant to the criminal case”.
Following the investigations, three active members of the group were detained and placed in pre-trial detention for 30 days. They are being investigated for the establishment and management of an organized criminal group, illegal migration, blackmail and other related crimes.
The Border Police states that, together with the Prosecutor's Office, they are continuing the investigation to identify all the people involved, document the entire criminal network and hold those responsible accountable.
The people targeted in the case benefit from the presumption of innocence, according to the law, until a final court decision is issued.
