Moldovan law-enforcers inform about attempts of destabilization in context of elections. About 300 people trained in camps in Moscow's suburbs, Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina

Chisinau,17 October /MOLDPRES/ - About 300 people have been trained in camps in Moscow’s suburbs, as well as in Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, in order to carry out measures of destabilization on the territory of Moldova on the next period. Four people have been detained and placed under arrest on this case so far. Information to this effect today was unveiled at a news briefing held by the General Police Inspectorate (IGP), the Prosecutor’s Office for Combating the Organized Crime and Special Causes (PCCOCS) and the Intelligence and Security Service (SIS).        

The PCCOCS acting chief prosecutor, Victor Furtuna, stressed that the trainings had been aimed at organizing mass disorders. ‘’PCCOCS carries out investigations on more criminal files on the preparation of disorder in the interest of a crime ring. On the last days, over 100 searches have been made and four peoples were detained and placed under arrest,’’ Victor Furtuna said.   

For his part, IGP head Viorel Cernauteanu said that the young people selected had been moving to Russia in groups of 20 people each. The actions would have taken place starting from June 2024.   

„The young people would have participated in trainings at a boarding house in the suburbs of Moscow. In Last June, over 100 young people left for such trainings, under the pretext of participation in a cultural and tourist programme. In Russia, they would have been trained about tactics of national division, as well as destabilization of the constitutional order, tactics of provoking the bodies for maintaining the public order; use of weapons and other objects for causing non-lethal physical damages; psychology of masses; physical clashes with the law-enforcement forces during protests; manufacturing and use of articles of setting fire and hand-made explosive devices; operating drones, with special attachment for explosive or setting fire. The type of training provided to the young people points to offensive actions, in order to create provocations and panic in the society,’’ Viorel Cernauteanu said.      

The IGP leadership noted that the training s had been regular and the law-enforcement bodies managed to establish most of the people who had participated in them. ‘’Following the searches carried out at the people concerned, the law-enforcers managed to raise over 1.6 million lei, objects which were to be used in the destabilization process and mass disorder on the next period. Thus, the violent actions were aimed at removing certain candidates from the electoral race or the invoking of certain pretexts which would conclude that the elections would be falsified. Also these people have earlier been involved in actions of vandalism and hooliganism against state institutions’ buildings,’’ Cernauteanu also said.    

Also, SIS director Alexandru Musteata said that some of these young people had been trained by foreign instructors connected to the entities related to the Wagner and Ferma private military structures.    

„Starting from last May, the young people’s trips to Moscow have been financed by fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor. Some of the people were selected for more advanced trainings in guerilla camps, held in Bosnia & Herzegovina, as well as in Serbia. Some of the trainings were held starting from last September till mid-October. Presently, four of the citizens trained at the guerilla camps in Bosnia & Herzegovina and in Serbia were detained. The people were trained by foreign instructors in using tactics of national division and destabilization of the constitutional order. Provokers who were to organize protests, violent, radical and extremist actions, in the context of the elections, were involved in the exercises.  They were trained on the applying of tactics of provoking police bodies and use of weapons. At this point, the degree of risk is low; nevertheless, we stay vigilant and connected,’’ Alexandru Musteata said.    

Also, following the raids, made on this case in northern, central and southern  Moldova, other objects were raised, such as: lists with activists, folders, portable computers, advanced phones, clothes with diverse inscriptions, electronic signatures which do not belong to the people searched, bank cards from Russia’s banks, as well as plane tickets on the route Chisinau-Istanbul-Moscow.     

At the same time, evidence was raised on the relation of the crime ring’s members with certain political parties. Additionally, the stamp of a non-governmental organization, as well as rough copies was raised.     

In the context, law-enforcers warned the young to avoid the actions which exceed the legal framework of a peaceful protest and which might trigger mass disorder, accompanied by using violence against people, pogroms, fires, destructions of assets, using of fire arms or other objects used as arms, as well as putting up of violent or armed resistance to the authorities - actions punished with up to eight years of imprisonment.