Prosecutors from the Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases (PCCOCS), together with investigative officers and “Lightning” employees of the Police, conducted searches in Orhei for two days, following the uncovering of one of the groups of the “Machena” “criminal organization”. As a result of the raids, more than 200 thousand lei were collected by the lawmen.

PCCOCS announces that eight people from Orhei, aged between 20 and 65 (among them businessmen), have been recognized as suspects and witnesses have been interviewed, who told about “investigated criminal activities”.

“Part of the illegal activity of the criminal group, documented for six months, related to the application of methods of coercion on people subjected to various artificially created situations, in the style of the 1990s. Specifically, under various schemes the suspects would identify and lure people who offered money loans or who had disagreements with other people. The suspects would contact them and assure them that under their control their problems would be solved in exchange for a percentage of the money in dispute with third parties or directly by financially rewarding members of the organisation.

Another criminal aspect of the group concerned illegal activities carried out under the guise of illegal gambling. Thus, as a result of the results of the searches carried out, including at the homes of the criminal leaders, law enforcement officers caught the suspects playing poker as part of the criminal activities to create funds to support the criminal organization “Machena.” As a result, the equipment used to conduct illegal games and more than 200,000 lei – money allegedly derived from criminal activity, half of which was put into the game – were seized,” the Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement.

As a result, the PCCOCS claims to have recognized as suspects eight people from Orhei, aged between 20 and 65 (among them businessmen). Witnesses were also heard, who communicated about “criminal activities under investigation”.

“Some of the suspects were previously convicted for various categories of crimes, and within the criminal group they had specific roles received from the leader of the organized criminal group – aged 34, so-called “supervisor” for Orhei municipality, appointed in this role by the leader of the criminal organization – responsible for the preparation of conspiratorial locations for conducting illegal poker game, appointment of the dealer who provided game chips from the prepared suitcase, with subsequent collection of the financial means accumulated from gambling.

The raids in Orhei municipality targeted the schemes of this organized criminal group, with activity including gatherings of members of the criminal organization and the creation of funds to support the organization’s activity, including by facilitating these illegal gambling activities. The reason given for communicating with those from whom they received money was the need to support the criminal group and the members of the organization, currently detained in various detention facilities of the National Administration of Prisons,” the representatives of the Prosecutor’s Office point out.

According to the PCCOCS, the investigation into the creation and management of this “criminal organisation” is continuing, during which time the persons concerned are presumed innocent, according to the law.