Illegal Romanian document network targets Moldovans; Suceava public institutions searched
On November 25, prosecutors from the Prosecutor's Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice of Romania conducted raids at 17 locations, including the offices of public institutions. This operation was part of an investigation into the illegal issuance of identity documents using fictitious addresses for foreign citizens, including individuals from the Republic of Moldova.
The investigation aims to dismantle a network that facilitated the issuance of Romanian identity cards and passports to individuals from the Russian Federation, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, and other states within the former Soviet Union. This operation allegedly involved civil servants in Suceava County.
According to News.ro, 15 searches were conducted in the localities of Dumbrăveni and Sălăgeni in Suceava County. These searches included Dumbrăveni City Hall, the Public Population Registration Service, and the residences of the mayor and several civil servants. Two additional searches occured in Bucharest, specifically in sectors 1 and 3.
Prosecutors are investigating suspicions of computer forgery, use of forged documents, and complicity in computer forgery related to the issuance of Romanian identity documents that do not reflect reality, particularly regarding the declared domicile and the documents associated with acquiring Romanian citizenship.
How the scheme worked
Investigators allege that beneficiaries obtained Romanian identity documents by falsely establishing their domicile in properties that did not belong to them, sometimes in abandoned or uninhabitable buildings, without the consent of the actual owners. The declarations of domicile were allegedly prepared falsely in the absence of the owners, with the involvement of officials from the personal records service and city hall.
Additionally, some beneficiaries utilized forged Romanian citizenship certificates to obtain identity documents and, subsequently, Romanian passports.
The scheme allegedly allowed foreigners to bypass legal procedures for establishing domicile and access the benefits associated with citizenship and residency in Romania.
The prosecutor's office has announced that criminal prosecution will continue for 18 individuals who are suspected of obtaining documents based on false citizenship certificates.
The investigations are being conducted with the support of the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police - Criminal Investigations Directorate, the Special Interventions and Actions Service (SIAS), and the Technical Service within the PÎCCJ.
Hundreds of Bassarabians left without Romanian identity cards
As of October, hundreds of individuals with dual Romanian-Moldovan citizenship have found themselves without Romanian identity cards after their documents were seized at customs.
When crossing the border between Romania and the Republic of Moldova, 870 citizens had their identity cards taken by the Border Police. The main reason cited by Romanian border authorities is the existence of fictitious residence claims in Romania.
Romanian law enforcement conducted checks, leading to the withdrawal of identity cards from Moldovan citizens who were found to have fictitious residence registrations in Romania.
According to Denis Mihaela Lazar, the police commissioner of the Iași Territorial Inspectorate of the Border Police, “in accordance with Article 18 of Emergency Ordinance no. 105 of 2001 regarding the state border of Romania, if it is discovered that travel documents do not meet the legal conditions required for entry or exit from the country, the head of the crossing point may order the interruption of the traveler’s passage.”
Furthermore, the source noted that “since the beginning of this year, during specific missions at the border crossing points with the Republic of Moldova, approximately 870 identity cards that no longer met the requirements for travel documents have been retained for return to the issuing authorities.”
