Two attempts to corrupt border officers at Leuseni customs
Two Moldovan drivers attempted to bribe border police officers this week, but the cases were reported to law enforcement. The bribe was offered in exchange for facilitating their passage across the border.
The first case occurred at the Leușeni border crossing point while entering the country. A citizen of the Republic of Moldova, who was driving a vehicle on the Belgium-to-Moldova route with five passengers, allegedly attempted to bribe a border police officer to avoid penalties for lacking the necessary legal documents required for transporting people and goods.
According to the General Inspectorate of Border Police (IGPF), the driver threw the vehicle's registration certificate and a sum of money out of the window at the police officer, justifying his action with the phrase "for tea" (a colloquial way of indicating a tip).
In the second case, reported at the Cahul border crossing point while exiting the country, a 46-year-old man holding dual Moldovan-Romanian citizenship was involved. He was driving a Volkswagen minibus.
During the inspection, border police discovered money hidden between his identity card and driver's license. Preliminary findings suggest that this amount was intended to facilitate his border crossing.
Both attempts at bribery were reported to the authorities for further investigation.
In light of these incidents, the Border Police of the Republic of Moldova advises those involved in cross-border travel to refrain from any attempts at bribery. Citizens are also encouraged to report any acts of corruption by calling the Anti-Corruption Line at 1520.
