Officers from the National Anticorruption Center (CNA) and prosecutors in Balti have dismantled a smuggling and money laundering scheme and detained eight people who allegedly received more than €1 million illegally.
Investigators say the group illegally brought high-end mobile phones into Moldova, sold them, and then laundered the proceeds. The phones were purchased in Italy and entered the country through regular passenger transport routes and parcel deliveries.
According to the CNA press service, the group avoided customs duties and border controls by failing to declare the phones at entry points and hiding them among luggage and transported parcels. The members then distributed the phones to affiliated individuals and companies aware of their illicit origin, selling them through specialized shops and online platforms. This allowed the network to generate substantial profits from illegally imported goods.
Authorities say the suspects collected cash and stored it in currency exchange offices in Chișinău. After accumulating amounts between €70,000 and €100,000, they handed the money to international passenger and parcel transport operators, who allegedly knew the funds were illicit. These operators then moved the money clandestinely to Belgium, without declaring it at customs.
Investigators report that the group used companies controlled by its members and registered in Belgium to create the appearance of legal income. They then transferred the funds to Italy, where the money reached the scheme’s final beneficiary.
Authorities estimate that around 13 individuals and six companies, both domestic and foreign, were involved in the scheme, including international transport operators and currency exchange representatives. The investigation is ongoing to identify all participants and map the full criminal network.