Smuggling network stopped at Botosani

Following an informative-operational activity, carried out for a period of four months, D.I.I.C.O.T. prosecutor - Botosani Territorial Bureau, in cooperation with officers within Botosani Border Police County Inspectorate, technically and operationally supported by officers within D.G.I.P.I. and by Botosani National Police County Inspectorate, Botosani Countering Organized Crime Service and Botosani Gendarmerie County Inspectorate initiated on 25.10.2011 an action in order to catch into act a criminal network specialized in Moldavian cigarettes smuggling, acting in Botosani County.

Out of the information gathered by D.G.I.P.I. and Border Police officers, resulted that the criminal group consists of Moldovans and Romanians with well determined roles within the group receiving the cigarettes, surveying the roads, transporting, storage and selling of the goods, in order to get benefits out of it.

On the occasion of this action, from close to Prut River, border area and following the 28 house searches, 10.500 packages of cigarettes, money, two vehicles and different goods, part of the criminal activity, were seized.

The house searches were also in regards to two Border Police officers within Romanesti Border Police Sector.

The investigations are ongoing, under the leadership of D.I.I.C.O.T. prosecutor together with officers within Botosani Border Police County Inspectorate.

Statistics regarding Romanian Border Police activity in the last 24 hours

In the last 24 hours, in the competence areas - meaning border crossing points and "green border" - Border Police officers detected:

• 73 illegal deeds (27 crimes and 46 penalties) committed by Romanian and foreign citizens;
• the amount of penalties reaches approximately 16,000 lei;
• undeclared goods (which were to be smuggled into the country), which exceeded the customs’ legal provisions or were suspected as being counterfeit with a total value of 66,000 lei, were detected;
• the flow of passengers and means of transportation at the border crossing points was about 89,000 people, both at the entry and at the exit and over 27,200 means of transportation.
  9 foreign citizens were refused entry due to the fact that they did not meet the entry requirements and also 16 Romanian citizens were not allowed to exit Romania out of various legal grounds.