Moldovan law enforcers detain seven suspects of smuggling sugar, grape

Chisinau, 28 September /MOLDPRES/- Law enforcement bodies have detained seven Moldovans, suspected of smuggling sugar and grape illegally imported from Ukraine and Turkey.

Acting deputy prosecutor of Prosecution for Combating Organised Crime and Special Causes Valeriu Bodean today said that in two cases of smuggling, the defendants were importing goods from abroad, then repacked in Moldova and exported to Russia or marketed in the country.

“In the first case, it is about three persons, who were illegally importing sugar from Ukraine through the Transnistrian segment, then repacking in bags with forged labels of local producers. As a result of investigations, the law enforcement bodies discovered 20 tons of smuggled sugar supposed to be sold in food markets,” Bodean said.

The three accused were detained preventively for a period of 30 days. They would have earned an income of 252,000 lei.

“In the second case, it is about four persons, including a phytosanitary inspector of the National Agency for Food Safety, who were importing fresh grape from Turkey. Subsequently, the defendants removed the original packaging of grapes, and moved the grapes from plastic boxes in wooden crates, applying labels “Made in Moldova” and exporting to Russia,” a criminal investigation officer of the Customs Service’ criminal investigation department, Maxim Guzic, said.   

The law enforcers said that so the suspects had exported 20 tons of grapes, and the Russian phytosanitary bodies had identified a tropical virus that “cannot exist in our country”. After searches, the police discovered other 65 tons of grapes, prepared for export, in a warehouse in Grimancauti village, Briceni district.

Three of the defendants are currently under house arrest, and one person was detained preventively. Damage is estimated at 14,000 dollars.

The seven defendants run the risk of imprisonment from 3 to 10 years.  

(Reporter P. Beregoi, editor L. Alcază)