People detained with the weapons truck are from the transnistrian region, authorities
Another individual has been detained in connection with the discovery of a truck carrying weapons at the Moldovan-Romanian customs. The three suspects under investigation are all from the Transnistrian region, as announced by Lilian Carp, the chairperson of the Parliament's Committee for National Security, Defense, and Public Order. According to DICOT Romania, the driver, who is a Moldovan citizen, has been detained, and a 30-day arrest was requested for him.
Three people were detained in connection with the case. Last night, there were two detainees, and now, as far as I understand, a third individual has been apprehended. All three are from the left bank of the Nistru, according to Carp, who spoke to Teleradio-Moldova.
The parliamentarian mentioned that two separate investigations are currently underway.
"The Albița–Leușeni customs is a shared crossing point, but it is located on Romanian territory. All vehicles passing through this customs checkpoint are scanned in Romania. For this reason, there are two investigations: one taking place in Romania and another initiated by Moldovan authorities, since the suspicious vehicle was first identified by a customs officer from the Republic of Moldova," explained Lilian Carp.
Carp indicated that the ammunition found is of Soviet and Russian origin, with the last batch produced in 2021.
He dismissed claims circulating in the public domain suggesting that the truck had crossed the Moldovan-Ukrainian customs and was transporting Stinger missiles or similar products.
"This information is not accurate. The vehicle was detected on Romanian territory at the shared crossing point, but it was identified at the request of the Moldovan customs officer who was inspecting the cargo," Carp stated.
The Chairman of the National Security Committee emphasized that the incident is serious, and authorities must determine who sealed the cargo.
"By examining the seal number, it will be possible to identify the customs officer in the Republic of Moldova who sealed the cargo without conducting a thorough check before loading it. This aspect is currently under investigation," added Lilian Carp.
When asked if there are indications that this case is linked to an arms trafficking network, Carp responded that there is no such information at this stage.
Romanian prosecutors request 30-day detention for truck driver
The Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism (DICOT) in Romania has announced that a 37-year-old Moldovan citizen, identified as the driver, has been ordered to be detained while under investigation for several crimes, including "establishing an organized criminal group, qualified smuggling, and using false documents at the customs authority."
According to the evidence gathered so far, the defendant is accused of joining a cross-border organized criminal group that specializes in smuggling weapons and ammunition destined for Israel. On November 20, during a customs inspection at the Albița crossing into Romania, the defendant was found driving a tractor-trailer combination containing 18 portable anti-tank missiles, 8 anti-tank grenade launchers, a portable air defense system, and parts of a drone.
The documents accompanying the transport falsely claimed that the cargo consisted of metal scrap. The weapons were concealed in metal foils, wrapped in textile materials, and placed inside wooden boxes.
The judge for rights and freedoms at the Iași Court will be notified regarding the proposal for the defendant's preventive arrest for a period of 30 days.
On the night of November 20, a container truck loaded with ammunition resembling rocket launchers was stopped at the Albita customs office around 3:00 AM. The driver, a citizen of Moldova, claimed that the truck was headed for Israel and that he was transporting "metal elements."
The Customs Service of Moldova confirmed the incident, noting that the initial suspicions were raised by a Moldovan customs officer and communicated to their Romanian counterparts. The Romanian authorities scanned the truck as part of their procedures. The truck was sealed, and the authorities have documented the driver.
Renato Usatîi, the Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for National Security, called for urgent hearings in Parliament and a joint investigation involving the authorities of Moldova, Romania, and Ukraine. He argued that the type of ammunition detected poses a significant risk to regional security and suggested that the weapons could be sourced from a conflict zone.
Conversely, security expert Pavel Horea characterized the incident as a "false flag operation" aimed at discrediting Ukraine amid sensitive peace negotiations and ongoing corruption scandals in Kiev.
