Harsher sentence for underworld leader Vladimir Moscalciuc, alias "Makena"
Centru Court of Appeals has increased the sentence of Vladimir Moscalciuc, the head of the Makena criminal organization, to 25 years in prison. This decision follows an appeal by prosecutors from the PCCOCS, who argued that the original sentence of 21 years was too lenient. Moscalciuc was convicted for ordering the assassination of a rival criminal leader in a closed-regime prison in 2008.
According to the Prosecutor's Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases (PCCOCS), the murder was committed by several members of the same criminal group, acting on the orders of their leader. The victim was repeatedly struck with hard objects in vital areas of the body and died at the scene. To hide the evidence of the crime, the perpetrators moved the body to another floor of the penitentiary.
The motive for the murder was to solidify the position of the Makena criminal organization against rival groups and to conceal information related to other similar crimes. In return for carrying out the murder, the leader promised his accomplices privileges and advancement within the group's hierarchy.
Previously, the five individuals involved in the murder were each sentenced to 13 years in prison. The leader of the group is already in detention for creating and leading a criminal organization, as well as for blackmail and conspiracy to commit murder.
PCCOCS emphasizes that fighting organized crime remains a priority. Between January and October 2025, specialized prosecutors prosecuted criminal cases that led to the conviction of over 100 individuals involved in criminal activities, both within the Republic of Moldova and in transnational networks.
