Massive raids at Albiţa customs

UPDATE: About 60 employees at Albiţa customs point have been arrested in order to be questioned by NAD prosecutors, under suspicion of bribe taking and cigarettes smuggling.

Articol de Alina Darie, Vaslui, 22 Februarie 2011, 09:30

Head of Vaslui County Inspectorate of Border Police Valeriu Bodoga confirms that the 53 police officers were picked up and taken to hearings. He also stated that, on the list of the arrested, there were names he had least expected.

"We have monitored some of them, indeed, as their activities raised suspicions. But I must confess I also had some unexpected surprises. I am now referring to people least expected to be searched by the National Anticorruption Directorate", head of the CIBP stated.

The traffic at Albiţa customs in Vaslui county was resumed in both directions.

All activities at Albiţa customs were halted this morning, after dozens of customs workers and police officers were picked up under suspicion of bribe taking and cigarettes smuggling.

Investigators, accompanied by special troops, organized a massive raid at Albiţa customs, the biggest boarder checkpoint in eastern Romania.

The raid at Albiţa customs is similar to the one that took place at Siret customs.

Investigators have requested traffic in both directions to be blocked, for both entry and clearance.

Raids are also organized at Albița customs workers’ homes.

There are 114 employees at Albița customs, of which 87 are publicans.

59 employees at Siret crossing point, Suceava county, have been arrested since early February and 90 other people were detained in the investigations in Naidăş customs (Caraş Severin county) and Moraviţa (Timiş county).

Included among the prosecuted was also the head of the National Customs Authority, charged for bribe taking in the case involving Halmeu customs, by NAD prosecutors.

According to a NAD press release dated February third, one of the defendants had claimed and then received from a customs inspector in Halmeu customs office the amount of 130.000 euros in exchange for her promotion to the position of head of customs office Halmeu, based on the influence he had on the head of the National Customs Agency.