Two people were detained and placed in preventive detention for 30 days following searches carried out in Dondușeni and Otaci in a case of illegal migration organized for 12 citizens of Ukraine. The Ukrainians reached Moldova by crossing the Nistru in an inflatable boat, and each was asked to pay by US$10,000, IPN reports.

After they illegally arrived in Moldova, the Ukrainian citizens presented themselves to the General Inspectorate for Migration and the subdivisions of the Interior Ministry’s General Border Police Inspectorate to obtain documents legalizing their stay in Moldova in order to leave for the European Union.

One of the haulers was detained on the ring road of Dondușeni town, when he set off for Chisinau with four Ukrainian passengers who arrived illegally in Moldova. The second suspect was detained at home, in Otaci.

Subsequently, at the request of the Prosecutor's Office for Organized Crime and Special Cases, the two were remanded in custody for 30 days by the decision of the Ciocana Court of Chisinau City.

During the searches, both the boat used to cross the Nistru River and a part of the money paid in cash, in the amount of about US$95,000, were detected.