Seven bronze bells from the churches and graveyards from 5 villages in Cantemir were stolen and sold for USD 800 to a scrap collecting facility. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, a group of six persons, aged between 20 and 41, natives of the districts Cantemir, Hancesti, Leova and Cimislia, was arrested just 24 hours after the incident. The group took down 3 bells from the graveyard in the village Leca and one more from each of the following villages: Plopi, Porumbesti, Hartop, Pleseni. The bronze bells were sold to a processing enterprise as scrap non-ferrous metals for USD 800. At present, some of the bells have been restored, intact, to the localities where they were stolen from, while others have been handed to the officials of the Orthodox Church to be remoulded. The six suspects are investigated under arrest. They were charged of “misappropriation of goods in considerable amounts”. If the suspects will be found guilty, they risk to be jailed for up to 20 years.