Another 12 searches were conducted following the thwarting of the attempt to smuggle over 3.8 million cigarettes out of Moldova at the Vulcănești-Vinogradovca frontier post. Four men were arrested as a result. Two of them are managers of a transport company and a parking lot, while two persons were hired to load the cigarettes. The truck driver arrested on July 31 was placed under house arrest, IPN reports.

The Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime and Special Cases said the searches were carried out at different locations in Vulcăneșt town, including in the homes and cars of the owner of the parking lot and of the founder and manager of the company to which the truck belonged. The four men are aged between 37 and 65 and are citizens of Moldova, while the transport company was registered in Romania. The four are to be questioned and could be placed in remand detention.

The smuggling scheme was discovered ten days ago. The truck with trailer that was transporting the cigarettes was driven by a Moldovan aged 38. The truck had a door sealed up and the contraband was hidden behind this. A day ago, at least 25 searches were conducted in six localities in Moldova after the smuggling attempt was thwarted. The cigarettes were transported to the CIS and the EU and sold in significant quantities there. The suspects obtained enormous revenues.