Prosecutors from the Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases (PCCOCS), together with officers of the National Investigation Inspectorate (INI), have completed five raids on Friday, November 25, carried out in Chisinau, as well as in the districts of Cimislia and Anenii Noi, in the file on the preparation of mass riots.

The raids were carried out on a number of people, from whom several items of evidence relevant to the criminal case were seized: draft notes containing telephone contacts of people taking part in the protests, as well as mobile phones with relevant information. The evidence is to be examined and corroborated with the evidence in the criminal case file.

According to the Prosecutor General’s Office (PG), the persons were escorted for interviews and for the assignment of procedural status by PCCOCS prosecutors. One male of the identified individuals was prosecuted for grand larceny. He was today detained for 72 hours after he was also involved in hooligan actions during a recent protest action.

“As a result of investigative measures, persons from the Anenii Noi district were identified, on whom objects used in the preparation of mass disorder were found. Among the targeted persons, one of the leaders of a group of performance athletes from Cimislia district was identified, whose task was to violently resist the law enforcement officers authorized to ensure the peaceful conduct of the protest. Female persons from Chisinau municipality were also identified, whose role was to recruit people who were going to participate violently in the protests and to resist the law enforcement officers,” a statement from the Prosecutor’s Office said.

According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the case concerns preparations for mass riots from September 18, 2022 to the present.

The investigations are being carried out in view of the fact that, contrary to the Law on Assemblies, preparations for mass riots were allegedly carried out, including the transportation from different regions of the country to Chisinau of several people, in particular young people, including previously convicted persons, instigated to commit new crimes. Other roles within the “organised criminal group” included the recruitment of individuals to participate in destabilisation.

Law enforcement officers are continuing investigations, including with a view to establishing other criminal aspects and gathering further evidence of the activity of the organised criminal group under investigation.