A man attempted to deposit over 100,000 counterfeit dollars on a card
A man from Bălți intended, in January 2023, to buy jewelry in Chișinău and load his card with over 100,000 counterfeit US dollars through ATMs.
The 47-year-old accused is a resident of Bălți, and his main occupation is selling fruits and vegetables at a kiosk. He was arrested in Sinjerei when he was heading to the capital, where he planned to put the counterfeit money into circulation, according to realitatea.md.
The counterfeit money was allegedly brought into Moldova from Turkey in December 2022. It was obtained by the accused from the leader of a criminal group. In November 2022, the group leader was arrested by Bulgarian authorities at the border with Turkey while attempting to smuggle counterfeit banknotes worth $70,000 hidden under the car’s floor.
He handed the counterfeit US dollars to a person who then put them into circulation by depositing them on cards and bank accounts, using the “cash deposit” option at ATMs. However, that person turned out to be an undercover agent, and the accused’s actions became evidence in a criminal case after it was confirmed that the money was counterfeit.
Subsequently, the accused was arrested with counterfeit money amounting to over 100,000 US dollars when he was traveling to Chișinău to transfer the currency to other individuals in order to put it into circulation by purchasing jewelry and depositing it on bank cards through ATMs.
The PCCOCS prosecutor’s office requested and obtained the pretrial detention of this man for 30 days. Now, the prosecution will send the criminal case to court for trial. The man faces a prison sentence of 7 to 15 years. The criminal investigation continues regarding the other members of the criminal group.
