Two Moldovan customs officials detained in widening border graft investigation
Two customs officers at the Giurgiulești border checkpoint are under criminal investigation for allegedly demanding and accepting bribes ranging from $50 to $500.
The suspects reportedly accepted these payments from international transporters to expedite customs clearance. In exchange, officials would falsify cargo manifests, intentionally misreporting the type and volume of goods crossing the border.
Evidence of systemic misconduct
Investigators have been monitoring the suspects' activities since October 2024. Leaked transcripts of intercepted communications reveal blunt negotiations over "service fees."
In one recorded exchange, an officer demanded €200 (approx. 3,920 MDL) for passage. After the transporter protested the high cost, the official eventually settled for a bribe of €150.
Wider crackdown on border corruption
These arrests come just 24 hours after seven other officials were detained at the Leușeni-Albița and Cahul-Oancea border crossings. Those individuals are suspected of running a similar scheme involving passenger and parcel transport.
Prosecutors have announced they will seek 30-day pre-trial detention for five of the officials detained yesterday. Another suspect faces house arrest, while the seventh was released due to health complications.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
