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Romania and Moldova face multiple major criminal investigations
Authorities in Romania and Moldova are conducting several major investigations into financial crimes and fraud.
The European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) is investigating a suspected €7 million fraud involving IT procurement projects funded by EU mechanisms, including the PNRR. The probe focuses on whether public tenders were manipulated to favor specific providers through the use of identical or copied documentation.
In the real estate sector, a significant investigation is underway regarding the Oxy Residence 2 project in Bucharest. Over 50 victims claim they were defrauded after purchasing the same apartments multiple times, with estimated damages reaching approximately 16 million lei. Other real estate disputes include a developer in Iași facing legal action for failing to deliver properties, and protests in Chișinău, Moldova, over unauthorized high-rise construction.
Criminal investigations also include a large-scale crackdown on a transnational cigarette smuggling ring operating across Romania, Italy, Germany, and the UK, involving 60 searches in Neamț, Iași, and Suceava. Additionally, Moldovan authorities have uncovered a tax evasion scheme in the construction sector involving over 7 million lei. In Constanța, former university rector Dănuț Epure has been arrested in connection with a continuous pimping investigation involving the rental of properties for prostitution.
Entities
Bucharest · Claudiu Năsui · DIICOT · Dănuț Epure · Dănuț Tiberiu Epure · European Public Prosecutor's Office · George Sorinel Pandele · Iași · Laura Codruța Kövesi · Neamț · Oxy Residence 2 · Oxy Residence 2
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Authorities executed 60 search warrants in Neamț, Iași, and Suceava counties. monitorulneamt.ro · newsweek.ro · www.radioiasi.ro
- [● 3 SOURCES] The criminal activity had a cross-border scope, including sales in Italy, Germany, and the United Kingdom. monitorulneamt.ro · newsweek.ro · www.radioiasi.ro
- [● 3 SOURCES] The criminal activities began between 2024 and 2025. monitorulneamt.ro · newsweek.ro · www.radioiasi.ro
- [● 3 SOURCES] The groups specialized in cigarette smuggling. monitorulneamt.ro · newsweek.ro · www.radioiasi.ro
- [● 2 SOURCES] Various quantities of cigarettes were seized during the investigation. monitorulneamt.ro · www.radioiasi.ro
- [● 3 SOURCES] Two organized crime groups, composed of Romanian and Moldovan citizens, were formed in Târgu Neamț. monitorulneamt.ro · newsweek.ro · www.radioiasi.ro