A Ceadâr-Lunga man, 39, was fined for helping Syrian citizens to migrate illegally to Austria and Germany. The Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Organized Crime said this is the first conviction in a case involving about 100 Syrian citizens whose illegal migration to the European Union was organized by a now-dismantled criminal group.

The 39-year-old admitted to being part of the group that was dismantled in 2022, thanks to joint efforts of Romanian and Moldovan prosecutors. The man was involved in two instances of illegal migration.

In the first case, he crossed the border with Romania in a minibus with Bulgarian plates, transporting 10 Syrian citizens. One month later, the man entered Hungary carrying two Syrians in the trunk of a car registered in France. The gang used other cars in the vanguard to scout for any police presence. The Syrians were being transported in small groups, of up to 10 people, for fees ranging from 5,000 to 8,000 euros per person, depending on distance and route.

For acknowledging the offense, the Comrat Court reduced his sentence and ordered him to pay a 55,000 lei fine, also banning him from transporting passengers outside of Moldova for the next four years. The minibus used to transport the illegal migrants was confiscated by the state.

Three other people from the same gang are standing trial, while the investigation against other accomplices continues.