The tribunal of the Belgian city Namur sentenced 27 members of the criminal organization “Makena” to 93 years in jail cumulatively. The members of the group were also fined over €135,000. When the judgment was passed, only three of the culprits were in the courtroom. The others are wanted, IPN reports.

According to a communiqué from the Prosecutor General’s Office, the European prosecutors established that the activity of the criminal organization in Belgium was directed from Moldova by its leader Vladimir Moscalciuc, alias “Makena”, who was serving time in a Moldovan prison when the crimes were committed. He had accomplices living in Belgium.

The Federal Prosecutor’s Office of Belgium said that in 2008 the group “Makena” committed burglaries and thefts and trafficked in cars and in criminals. The group met several times a month at different addresses in order to collect ‘dues’ of 20% of the loot for financing the organization. A part of the incomes were sent to Moldova for being distributed to families or for being invested in realty. One of the members of the criminal organization ran a transport agency based in Moldova. It was used to transport co-nationals to Belgium and the loot.

The sentence of the Belgian court can be appealed within 15 days.

Based on evidence collected by Moldovan prosecutors, 11 members of the criminal organization “Makena” last April were sentenced to 12 to 20 years behind bars or 175 years altogether in Moldova.