Three men aged between 27 and 53 were arrested for 72 hours on suspicion of blackmail, IPN reports.

According to the police, the men claimed €10,000 from the victim for an invented debt. They maltreated the man and offered him time for repaying the debt. The suspects were arrested when they were receiving a sum of €3,000 from the victim.

Press officer of the General Police Inspectorate Silvia Vetcu said the victim is a man aged 40 from the municipality of Chisinau. The police learned about this case from operational information. The relations between the victim and the suspects are not known.

The Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime and Special Cases said the suspects have similar criminal records.

Blackmail carries a penalty of at most seven years in jail and a fine of maximum 67,500 lei.