Mercury case sent to court

The Prosecutor General’s Office remitted to court the case of two men from Glodeni who are accused of trying to sell 22 kilograms of mercury. The men are accused of violating the rules concerning the circulation of radioactive, bacteriological or toxic substances, materials and waste, prosecutor Valeriu Bodean, head of the Division for Prosecution in the Ministry of the Interior and Customs Service, told a news conference, quoted by Info-Prim Neo. The prosecutor said that in 1985, one of the men who is now aged 61 worked as a driver on international routes and brought from Russia mercury in liquid form that he kept at home illegally. In 26 years, the man, together with an acquaintance of his aged 51, decided to sell the mercury. They sold 35.55 grams of metallic mercury to a buyer from Orhei town. Afterward, they decided to sell all the mercury for €110,000. The men were arrested in Chisinau when they attempted to sell it. The mercury is a toxic substance that can cause significant damage to the people’s health and the environment. The criminal case was sent to the Riscani district court. If the court finds the men guilty, they will pay a fine of 12,000 lei or will be imprinted for three years.