Three people suspected of smuggling stolen GPS navigation systems from the Czech Republic, France and other European countries have been documented by prosecutors from the Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases (PCCOCS), together with officers from the National Investigation Inspectorate (INI) and the Customs Service, a statement said on Monday, January 6.

The suspects are two men and a woman aged between 30 and 50. They have been identified following the exchange of information with the Czech authorities. According to the file, the suspects are part of a criminal group specialising in the theft of navigation systems and agricultural tools.

In one of the documented cases, the damage committed in the Czech Republic exceeds two million lei. The Moldovan law enforcement authorities are communicating with those in European countries to investigate the crime of which the three are suspected and are presumed innocent, until they are brought to trial and a decision is taken.

“In order to consolidate the evidence, 14 searches of the three suspects and other persons were carried out with the assistance of “Lightning” employees in Chisinau and Causeni. On the spot, objects were found and seized, which will be corroborated with the existing evidence in the file: specialized tools for opening the doors of cars or tractors, to steal GPS navigation systems, illegally kept cartridges, draft notes, as well as information media,” the press release said.

According to the authorities, investigations are continuing with a view to bringing the suspects to justice and to elucidating the involvement of other accomplices in the activities of this international criminal group.