14 people to be tried for fraud with cereal products over 7.4 million lei

Chisinau, June 10 / MOLDPRES /- Fourteen people will be tried for fraudulent cereal products. The suspects allegedly deceived more than 25 economic agents specializing in growing crops.

According to the General Prosecutor's Office, six of the persons are already convicted on other criminal charges, being detained in the Rezina Penitentiary. Three other people have been remanded in custody and five are being held in custody.

According to prosecutors, the scheme was implemented in the summer and fall of 2021. The organizers contacted representatives of agricultural companies, who were traveling to interested economic agents, where they picked up agricultural products, with the commitment to pay them over the next few days. However, immediately after obtaining the goods, the companies sold them to other economic agents, without paying them to the producers, so they caused the injured parties a damage amounting to over 7.4 million lei (370 thousand euros).

The members of the group also received counterfeit stamps for use in the conclusion of fictitious transactions. At the same time, the defendants handed the sellers tax invoices confirming the transmission of the goods to them. Subsequently, the defendants resold the goods at a reduced price, and the money was sent through a network of couriers and was deposited in the bank accounts.

In order to ensure the compensation of the damages caused by the accused, the prosecutors requested and obtained the application of seizures on funds, real estate and land for construction, in a total amount of over 840 thousand lei. At the same time, at 11 economic agents, cereal products worth over 2.7 million lei have already been returned to them.