A Federal Security Service officer from Russia (FSB) was detained at the entrance to the Republic of Moldova. The individual is accused of intending to unlawfully collect information about the Transnistrian region.
The Information and Security Service (SIS) reported that the Russian allegedly tried to enter the Republic of Moldova based on a pre-prepared cover story, writes voceabasarabiei.md. Officially, he claimed to be coming for tourism purposes, including visiting monasteries.
“The purpose of the accused’s visit was to collect data and information for the purpose of storing or using them to the detriment of the sovereignty, independence, territorial inviolability, state security, or defense capacity of the Republic of Moldova“, specifies the press service of the SIS.
At the request of the Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases (PCCOCS), the individual was placed in preventive detention for 30 days.
Security officers assert that the targeted individual had previously visited our country between September 2017 and September 2019. During that time, the individual is alleged to have conducted activities against the security, independence, and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova. In that period, the Russian citizen is said to have used a diplomatic passport issued by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, even though he did not go through the accreditation procedure at the diplomacy in Chisinau.