Another incident involving the transport of illegal substances has taken place in Moldova, this time in Soroca District, near the village of Volovița, where police stopped a taxi for inspection.
Two passengers were inside the vehicle men aged 30 and 35. During the search, officers found a bag containing a white powder.
Suspected PVP
According to preliminary data, the substance is the synthetic drug PVP, commonly known as “spice.” The substance has now been sent for forensic examination. Investigators are still determining what exactly the men were doing in the taxi and where they were transporting the drugs from.
Taxi Transport as a Known Method
Using taxis to transport drugs is nothing new. It is an old but effective method: cars with taxi markings attract less attention than suspicious pedestrians or private vehicles without identifying signs.
In February of this year, a 51-year-old taxi driver was detained in Chișinău and Strășeni. The man was not only driving passengers, but also selling marijuana during working hours. Investigators identified him after several controlled purchases. Packaged bags of marijuana and a substantial amount of cash were found in the car.
A Busy Start to the Year for Anti-Drug Units
The beginning of the year has been intense for anti-drug units. In March, two citizens of Ukraine were detained at the border. The women were transporting synthetic drugs into Moldova, disguised as laundry detergent. Their suitcases contained around 2.5 kilograms of PVP and mephedrone. The market value of that shipment exceeded 1.5 million lei. If found guilty, the two women could face up to 15 years in prison.
In February, police also uncovered an entire “call center” in Chișinău. A foreign national had rented an office where operators used Telegram to coordinate dead drops across the city. Eleven people were detained.
That same month, the international operation Rubicon took place. Together with colleagues from Ukraine and Poland, Moldovan police dismantled 34 laboratories and 74 warehouses containing synthetic drugs. Officers seized more than 200 kilograms of a-PVP, 156 kilograms of amphetamine, and 17 kilograms of mephedrone. More than 100 peoplewere jailed.
Other Recent Cases
Also in February, at the Criva border checkpoint, officers found a passenger carrying cocaine and MDMA. Then, on the 23rd, five citizens of Turkey were detained while transporting 84 kilograms of heroin through Moldova, with an estimated value of about 5 million euros.
