Three Romanian nationals and a Ukrainian national were detained for 24 hours by the Coast Guard and DNA prosecutors after they were caught red-handed after entering the country with a container containing 12,170,000 duty-free cigarettes worth around €1,500,000.

“Prosecutors of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) – Territorial Service of Constanta issued an order to open a criminal case and detain for 24 hours, starting from December 30, four defendants, three citizens of Romania and one citizen of Ukraine, who were in charge of committing certain crimes of smuggling and bribery and buying influences, the latter done in a continuous manner,” DNA said in a press release cited by Agerpres.

According to the investigation, during the year 2023, the four defendants offered several times to persons performing control duties at the port of Constanta Sud Agigea, sums ranging from 120,000 to 200,000 euros/container of cigarettes and 3-5 euros/kilogram. hookah tobacco in order to “turn a blind eye” and allow the importation of the corresponding goods into the territory of Romania without documents on their origin.

The relevant money was supposed to be returned to the officials shortly after the “cargo” container left the port area.

To create the appearance of legality, goods such as lemonade, which were previously subject to legal importation, were listed in transport documents.

“On December 30, after a container with 12,170,000 tax-free cigarettes worth about 1,500,000 euros was imported into the country, the anti-corruption prosecutor’s office began to establish the composition of the crime, the amount of which was found in the car in which two of the perpetrators of the crime were. 110,000 dollars, which is the first installment of the amount that would have been originally promised (175,000 euros) to the port employee (the witness says this),” the quoted source said.

On Saturday, the four defendants will be presented to the magistrates of the Constanta court with a proposal for preventive arrest for 30 days.

In this case, anti-corruption prosecutors used the support of police officers from the coast guard, the Office of Special Operations and the support of the Constanta South Agija customs office.