Russians faced trial in Romania for fake passports, some from Chișinău
Romanian prosecutors have uncovered an illegal scheme in which 16 Russian citizens obtained Romanian passports and identity cards using forged documents—falsely attributed to entities including the Romanian Embassy and Consulate in the Republic of Moldova. After the investigation, authorities cancelled over 1,700 identity cards issued using fictitious addresses.
The defendants have been indicted and are being investigated while at liberty for using forged documents, complicity in computer forgery, and complicity in forging official documents.
"Between February and July 2024, the defendants used citizenship certificates purportedly issued by the Consulate General of Romania in Saint Petersburg, the Embassy of Romania in Baku, the Embassy of Romania in the Republic of Moldova, and the Consulate General of Romania in Chișinău. These documents falsely attested to the acquisition of Romanian citizenship; based on them, the defendants obtained the transcription of their birth records into the National Civil Registry, the assignment of Romanian personal identification numbers, and the issuance of Romanian birth certificates by the Sector 6 Local Council," investigators stated, as cited by g4media.ro.
Furthermore, using the corresponding identity cards, they obtained standard electronic passports issued by the Suceava Public Community Service for Passports.
"We note that the sums of money obtained by the individuals who fictitiously registered the defendants at their addresses—in exchange for financial benefits—are subject to confiscation," prosecutors said.
In this regard, the prosecutor handling the case has asked the court to annul the forged citizenship certificates, the civil registry entries concerning the defendants' births, the civil status documents (including birth and marriage certificates), and all subsequently obtained identity documents—specifically, the identity cards and passports. Consequently, the General Directorate for Population Records decided to cancel 1,702 identity cards on the grounds of fictitious domicile registration.
