361 coins with various inscriptions and nominal values, issued by several states and dating from the XVII-XXI centuries, were supposed to arrive illegally in the country through Sculeni customs station. They were in the possession of a 38-year-old Moldovan, who also carried books in French, of various editions, the oldest dating from 1704, IPN reports.
According to a press release of the Customs Service, the undeclared objects were discovered in the man's car, after it had been thoroughly checked based on the risk analysis.
According to preliminary information, the goods were brought from France by a bus operating on the Paris-Iasi international route. The goods were to reach the final beneficiary in the Republic of Moldova.
The seized coins and books were handed over for expertise to the National Museum of History of Moldova. If it is established that these objects have cultural value, the case will be investigated under smuggling charges, which is punishable by up to eight years of imprisonment.
Asked by IPN, Olesea Pușcașu, the Customs Service spokeswoman, has said that if it is established that the objects represent cultural values, a criminal case is started and the court decides what happens to these objects. Most of the time they are confiscated and sent to the National Museum of History.