Nine persons, four of whom are customs officers, were arrested on suspicion that they smuggled sporting goods and equipment to the value of over 62 million lei into Moldova. The goods of the international brands Adidas and Reebok were intended for two chains of sports shops, IPN reports.

Prosecutor Vitalie Busuioc told a news conference that among those arrested is the administrator and founder of a company, three truck drivers and four customs officers. The goods were smuggled into Moldova in 2008-2011. These were imported into a free economic zone and were afterward re-exported fictitiously. The traces of the illegalities and the distribution of the earned incomes between the smugglers were then hushed up.  

Veaceslav Ionesie, head of the Customs Service’s Prosecution Division, said that by using the given scheme, the smugglers avoided paying import duties of 26 million lei.

The prosecutors charged the nine persons and will ask for arrest warrants against them. Measures are being taken to sequestrate the goods so as to recover the damage caused to the public budget.

The suspects face three to ten years in jail for smuggling.