Romanian police raid homes in Salaj, Mureș and Cluj over tax fraud and cigarette contraband

On 8 July, police from Romania’s Economic Crime Investigation Service carried out five home searches in Pusta, Salaj County, targeting men aged 27‑57 suspected of tax evasion and fraud. Investigators allege the suspects, acting as administrators of two companies, concealed income from animal‑product sales and defrauded a man in Bihor County of €30,000. Documents were seized and the case remains under prosecutorial supervision.

Separate operations in Mureș and Cluj counties involved seven searches under a case of illicit excise goods and intellectual‑property violations. Officers seized a compressed‑air rifle with ammunition, about 300 cigarettes, 1.3 kg of shredded tobacco and 39 items of counterfeit clothing bearing well‑known brand logos. The raids were coordinated with local prosecutors and involved multiple police and gendarmerie units. Both investigations are ongoing.