Seven Moldovans were arrested on Moldova’s territory following the identification of a group of persons suspected of trafficking in hashish from Spain to Russia. Earlier, another ten members of the group, who are citizens of Russia, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine, were arrested in Spain, Ukraine, Belarus and the Russian Federation during an operation to transport about 400 kg of hashish by the authorities of the given states, IPN reports.

Prosecutor Dumitru Ştefîrţă, of the Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime and Special Cases, told a news conference that the investigations into this case started in 2016. The first ten members of the group were arrested last December. Seven more members, including the leader, were detained now. They are all in remand detention. Another six persons suspected of links with this group were put on the wanted list.

The traffickers bought drugs in Spain for €700-800 per kg and sold them in Russia for €2,000-2,500 kg. The investigators determined that the group managed to sell about 500 kg of hashish, while another 400 kg were seized by the police.

The prosecutor said a part of the members of the group are former and current employees of Moldovan law enforcement agencies. The arrested persons face seven to 15 years in jail.