According to police reports, law enforcement officers carried out a total of eight searches in the Camenca district. They inspected the offices of several businesses and residential properties.
During the searches, police discovered and seized 280 litres of ethyl alcohol, 150 litres of wine and 12,860 cigarettes without excise stamps. No documents were found to confirm the legal origin of the goods.
The suspects in the case are two women aged 37 and 57, and a 63-year-old man. The police are continuing their investigations to establish all the circumstances of the incident and document the offences.
Other smuggling cases in October
In October 2026, Moldovan law enforcement and customs authorities reported several major cases involving smuggling and breaches of customs legislation.
For instance, on 16 October, the PCCOCS Prosecutor’s Office and the Border Police uncovered a scheme to import premium-class cars into the country that had been stolen in Germany and Switzerland. The vehicles in question were Mercedes GLCs, Mercedes CLAs and BMW 730s. Attempts were made to import the cars using forged documents. The total value of the seized cars exceeded 2.5–2.67 million lei.
On 12 October, the PCCOCS reported the sentencing of two Ukrainian nationals. The Ungheni Court handed down prison sentences and ordered the confiscation of nearly 13 million lei in favour of the state. The women had attempted to illegally take this money – approximately $400,000 and 270,000 euros – out of the country via the Sculeni border crossing back in March 2022.
On 19 October, the Prosecutor General’s Office reported the sentencing of a Chisinau resident, who received an 11-year prison sentence for drug smuggling on a particularly large scale. The man transported 14 kg of narcotic and psychotropic substances, including more than 10 kg of salts, through the Sculeni border crossing. He had concealed the prohibited substances in the car’s gas cylinder.
Logos Press had also previously reported that, in early October, Prime Minister Vasile Tofan stated that the proportion of illicit cigarettes on the Moldovan market stood at around 7 per cent.
Furthermore, according to the Moldovan Customs Service, between 5 and 30 October 2026, inspections revealed violations relating to the incorrect classification of goods, the undervaluation of their value and the unlawful use of concessions. As a result of the inspections, an additional 2,464,688 lei was assessed for the state budget.
This story was translated with the assistance of artificial intelligence.The translation was also reviewed by the Logos Press editorial team.
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