Christmas tree thieves are liable to fines of 1000 to 5000 lei

Local authorities have intensified inspections in the green spaces in the capital. Mobile teams, made up of policemen and employees of the specialized municipal services, are patrolling the parks and green spaces in the city, inclusively at night, to deter Christmas tree thieves. As the deputy head of “Spatii Verzi” Association, Galina Leahu states, at least one thousand people in all are involved in this process. The fine for chopping down fir trees illegally range from 1000 to 5000 lei. For the time being, no violations have been recorded. Earlier, the number of fir tree poaching during the winter holidays reached 250-300 cases annually. Just one person paid officially the fine last year. The capital’s residents do not hurry to buy a Christmas tree. Most of them hope to enjoy a significant discount, if they think to buy it on the last day of the year. The sellers share another opinion. The species of fir trees that were brought from Ukraine are keeping a good condition, and that is why the traders hope to sell them for a rather high price later, to people that celebrate Christmas according to the Eastern Orthodox calendar. The price of fir trees ranges from 50 to 1000 lei. At the marketplace on Hancesti Street, for a 2-2.5 meter-tall fir tree, sellers charge a price of up to 100-150 USD.