More cases of cash smuggling were recorded in 2022 compared with a year before. Data presented by the Border Police show an increase of 140%. The discovered sums of money come to hundreds of thousands of dollars and euros, IPN reports.

In the course of 2022, there were reported 24 such cases and investigated 27 persons, while in 2021 – only ten cases and 11 persons.

Most of the persons investigated for cash smuggling were citizens of Ukraine, these being followed by citizens of the Republic of Moldova, Russia, Romania, Tajikistan, Armenia and Turkey. These were heading for Istanbul, Tel Aviv, Warsaw, Vienna, Milan and London.

“The currency that was not declared when crossing the state border through the Chisinau International Airport came to: 761 809 US dollars, 422 680 euros, 50 000 Israeli shekels, 3 151 000 Ukrainian hryvnias and 20 000 pounds,” shows the Border Police’s report.

In accordance with the law, the citizens who intend to transport sums of money that exceed the value of €10 000 are obliged to declare in written form the currency to the customs authorities of the Republic of Moldova. Or the persons are penalized and the undeclared difference can be confiscated.