20,000 Liters of Contraband Ethyl Alcohol Seized in Moldova

Moldovan law enforcement officers shut down a major illegal alcohol trafficking channel, seizing a shipment of 20,000 liters of ethyl alcohol. The contraband cargo was discovered in a specially converted truck in the north of the country and in a warehouse in Ialoveni, according to rupor.md. A large-scale operation began on the Floresti bypass road, where officers from the investigation inspectorate, supported by patrol officers from Drochia and Soroca, stopped a Volvo truck. During the inspection, it was discovered that the truck trailer had undergone significant “modification”: a hiding place had been built inside, in which 9,500 liters of alcohol were being transported without any documents. The 37-year-old driver, a resident of the capital, was detained on the spot. Traces left by smugglers led investigators to Ialoveni. There, during searches of one of the warehouses, they discovered the second part of the shipment – another 10,500 liters of the same liquid. According to the investigation, the criminal group had ambitious plans: they intended to sell part of the alcohol on the domestic market in Moldova and illegally transport the rest abroad for resale. Currently, prosecutors from the PCCOCS (Northern Office) are preparing a motion to arrest the suspect in order to ensure an objective investigation and identify all participants in the scheme. A criminal case has been opened on charges of smuggling, and the investigation is ongoing. According to the law, the detainee is considered innocent until proven guilty in court.