Border police, in cooperation with prosecutors, have uncovered an international network involved in car smuggling from Norway and France, where vehicles were purchased through leasing schemes but never paid for.
According to investigators, four suspects from the Republic of Moldova, aged between 35 and 42—one of whom has a criminal record—were part of a broader criminal group with accomplices in Norway, France, and Romania.
The scheme involved setting up shell companies abroad that would “purchase” cars through leasing agreements, including models such as Lexus and Renault. After a short period, these companies would disappear, while the vehicles were removed from official records and transported to Moldova, where they were sold using falsified documents.
One case occurred at the Sculeni Border Crossing, where Romanian authorities seized a vehicle that was supposed to be returned to France. The buyer, unaware of the car’s illegal origin, had to continue his journey home by minibus.
So far, law enforcement officers have identified 10 illegally imported vehicles, with an estimated total value exceeding 3.5 million lei. As part of the investigation, authorities carried out nine searches in Balti, Chisinau, Falesti, and Ialoveni. They seized the targeted vehicles, mobile phones used in the criminal activity, transport-related documents, and driver’s licenses showing signs of forgery.