Greek police discovered seventeen fake passports and identity cards from various countries, along with €155,000 in cash, during a raid on Vlad Plahotniuc’s villa in Athens. Plahotniuc, the former leader of Moldova’s Democratic Party, had reportedly shared the residence with Constantin Tutu, a 38-year-old man also wanted by international authorities.
During the operation, officers seized digital storage devices (USB drives, SSDs) protected by specialized software, mobile phones, laptops, four luxury watches, and a car used exclusively by Plahotniuc.
Authorities established that Plahotniuc and Tutu lived together and deliberately minimized their public appearances to avoid detection. Whenever they suspected surveillance, they immediately changed countries, making tracking them more difficult.
Interpol had issued “red notices” for both Moldovan nationals at the request of Moldova and Russia. Greek police arrested them at Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos,” where they attempted to travel using fake documents allegedly issued by Bulgarian, Romanian, and Russian authorities.
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At the time of his arrest, Plahotniuc used a Bulgarian identity and carried more than €2,600 in cash, a laptop, two mobile phones, and several USB drives.
At a second location tied to Tutu, officers confiscated forged Romanian identity documents, a fake Romanian long-term residence permit, a counterfeit Bulgarian driver’s license, two mobile phones, €1,600, and $400 in cash.
Greek police confirmed that Moldovan prosecutors accuse Plahotniuc of leading a criminal organization between 2009 and 2019. Authorities claim he orchestrated efforts to undermine Moldova’s banking system, ultimately embezzling over €190 million through offshore networks. Between 2014 and 2020, Plahotniuc allegedly laundered large sums of stolen money, moving funds from state institutions to private companies via shell firms.
Meanwhile, Russian authorities accuse Constantin Tutu of joining an international drug trafficking network in June 2012, linking him to major cross-border narcotics operations.