The fine for buying or selling identification papers or other official documents is expected to be increased four times, to 16,000 - 20,000 lei. The culprits will also face up to three years in jail. A bill to this effect was put forward by the Liberal Reformist Party that forms part of the Pro-European Coalition. Currently, the fine is up to 4,000 lei, IPN reports.

Bill author Valeriu Saharneanu said that after the EU visa requirements for Moldovans were abolished, the number of those who want to get a biometric passport has increased as this document allows travelling in the EU.

According to the MP, in parallel with the rise in the number of applications for biometric passports, foreigners or Moldovan citizens who are banned from travelling showed increased interest in obtaining such a document illegally. If the Moldovan identification papers are forged on a large scale, the country will find itself in an embarrassing situation before the EU, which opened its borders and allowed the Moldovans to move freely.