Four people have been detained in Moldova in relation to a suspected corruption scheme to bribe officials in Moldova and elsewhere for wanted persons to avoid detection by Red Notices published by INTERPOL.

INTERPOL’s Red Notice system allows requests to go out to law enforcement worldwide to locate and arrest criminals wanted by member states.

Search warrants were executed by the Anti Corruption Office of Moldova and French authorities, with support from the NCA, Eurojust, the FBI, and US Secret Service.

The NCA identified evidence of a linked criminal enterprise as part of a separate investigation into an international cyber crime network with ties to Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus.

Working with the USSS, FBI and Spanish Guardia Civil, the NCA uncovered the identities of key individuals in Moldova who received bribes from members of the network. High harm cyber criminals were paying them to find out the status of arrest warrants in to inform their travel plans.

Cyber Crime specialists from the NCA analysed a large number of digital devices and several terabytes of data as part of their investigation, and supplied key evidence which supported the day of action today in Moldova, where 33 search warrants were executed across the country.

Paul Foster, NCA Director of Threat Leadership, said: “These corrupt officials abused their positions to provide a service that enabled some of the world’s most serious criminals to attempt to operate, travel freely and evade detection by law enforcement.

“As part of an ongoing joint investigation, the NCA uncovered vital evidence which identified key individuals and high harm cyber criminals who were paying them to conduct searches for Red Notices.

“International collaboration is key to disrupting serious and organised crime groups who operate on a global scale. This activity, conducted jointly with the with Spanish, US, Moldovan, and French authorities, shows that together we are having an impact.

“We are committed to working with our partners to protect the UK from the effects of corruption, wherever it is taking place in the world.”

Press release issued in conjunction with the following announcements:

Moldovan Anti-Corruption Office: https://procuratura.md/anticoruptie/comunicate/comunicate-de-presa/search-warrants-executed-anti-corruption-prosecution-office

Interpol: https://www.interpol.int/News-and-Events/News/2024/INTERPOL-action-leads-to-anti-corruption-operation-in-Moldova 

4 June 2024.