The National Police announced that they carried out thirty house and currency exchange raids in the illegal financing scheme of political parties affiliated with Ilan Shor over the past week. Officers of the National Investigation Inspectorate (INI) carried out the raids under the direction of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (PA). As a result, police officers seized money in different currencies worth about 3,000,000 lei.
Law enforcement officers stated that they took action after uncovering several illegal methods of financing political parties affiliated with Ilan Shor from dark sources. Police say that Shor, together with other representatives of the criminal group, allegedly organized a new scheme to smuggle foreign currency (US dollars) into the country.
“In the framework of the documentation, it was established that since April 2024 – present, Ilan Shor regularly organized in the city of Moscow in the Russian Federation various meetings with representatives of political parties affiliated with him, and as a result, a political bloc “Victory” was created, where several people affiliated with political parties and the criminal group participated.
Similarly, representatives of political parties affiliated with Shor allegedly held political forums and meetings periodically in Moscow, using couriers. The leaders of the organized criminal group identified persons who were usually members of the primary territorial organizations of political parties in the country and suggested that they travel to Moscow in return for 150-200 US dollars. Then centrally purchased their plane tickets.
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In Moscow, they accommodated people in various hotels. They attended a meeting chaired by Ilan Shor, after which persons unknown to the couriers handed out envelopes containing sums of money ranging from 2000 to 12,000 dollars. On each envelope was indicated the amount of money and the last name of the person who is the sector president of the political parties affiliated with Shor, which coincides with the number of polling stations in which he/she works.
During the meetings, the couriers received a package containing a pen, notebook, mug, T-shirts with the inscription ‘Victory,’ and POCO model phones. They then instructed them on how to behave if checked at the airport or questioned by the law enforcement agencies of the Republic of Moldova,” the police statement said.
National Police representatives say that “because some of the money was picked up at the Chisinau international airport by law enforcement agencies, at the last meetings couriers were instructed to transfer the money through “fast transfer” systems or directly to card accounts.”
The lawmen added, “Upon their return to the country, the activists distributed part of the money to their subordinates and passed part to representatives of political parties affiliated with Ilan Shor. The cost of a courier’s travel (air transport, accommodation, gifts) would amount to between 1,000 and 1,500 euros.”