Moldovan company allegedly tried to bypass sanctions to export components for Russian military aviation
A company from the Republic of Moldova allegedly attempted to illegally export components worth 21 million lei to Russia, intended for companies affiliated with the Russian military-industrial complex and subject to international sanctions. The attempt was foiled following an operation carried out by the Information and Security Service (SIS), under the leadership of the Prosecutor's Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases (PCCOCS).
According to the authorities, starting in 2022, a company from the Republic of Moldova allegedly exported control and measurement systems for electrical signals from sensors installed on the engines of Yak-130 training aircraft and Su-27 fighter jets. Investigators claim that, in order to conceal the true destination and nature of the goods, company representatives altered their description in customs declarations, presenting them as "waste recycling equipment."
At the same time, the company allegedly neither requested nor obtained the required authorizations for exporting dual-use goods.
According to the investigation, in order to conceal the recipient and fragment the supply chain, the ultimate beneficiaries of the Moldovan company allegedly established a company in the Russian Federation. Its role was to import the goods and then deliver them to the end user, who is affiliated with the Russian military-industrial complex and included on international sanctions lists.
According to SIS, technical documentation, production schemes, and device testing results were allegedly coordinated directly between representatives of the company in the Republic of Moldova and the end user in the Russian Federation.
On June 24, SIS officers and PCCOCS prosecutors carried out six searches at the homes of the targeted individuals and at a production facility.
During the raids, they seized components of control and measurement systems, mobile phones, and computers containing technical documentation, invoices issued in the names of intermediaries, as well as recent contracts concluded with a company from the Russian Federation.
The seized goods and documents will undergo forensic examination during the criminal investigation.
