Moldova: Organized crime; state protection available to victims (1998)

Organized crime is a cause for concern in Moldova. A report presented to the Civilian Affairs Committee of the North Atlantic Assembly (NAA) entitled "Organized Crime, Drug-related Crime and Illegal Migration in the Central and East European Region" presents the results of a conference organized by the Octopus Project, an initiative of the Council of Europe. According to the report, the conference reports indicated that organized crime in Moldova had entered the "third phase" in which organized crime is integrated into politics (NAA, 1997). This was corroborated by an interview with the General Commisar of the Police Commisariat Boris Muravsky in an interview with the INTERLIK news agency in which he states that

Organized crime is a hallmark of the capitalization of the society. We have crime and it keeps progressing and only the blind cannot notice this. The most favourable environment has been created for crime development in the tumultuous economic and legislative chaos. In Moldova organized crime has powerful "lobbyist" positions in the structures of power. I have told about it more than once and don't see any sense to repeat. Organized crime is the rust which corrodes the foundation of any statehood. Criminality is the competitor of the legitimate power. That is why it is striving to use any forms of the legal existence. Nepotism, blackmail and assassination are used. There are enough options. All this is done in order not only to possess money, but to use levers of power, that is to remain unpunished. For unstable statehood of Moldova it is fatal. The difficulty of struggle with local Mafiosi is in the total "nepotism" and the absence of the adequate legislative basis (INTERLIK, 14 Jan. 1998).

In addition to participating in the Octopus Project, Moldova has entered into a tripartite agreement to combat organized crime with Ukraine and Belarus (Infotag 17 Nov. 1997) and is active in other international initiatives as well (ITAR-TASS 21 July 1998).

There are also reports that organized crime in Moldova has penetrated the private sector. In April 1998 members of the Anti-Corruption and Organized Crime Department arrested employees of the Boeana-Group Company whom they suspected of blackmail and murder (Basapress, 11 Apr. 1998). The employees resisted arrest, resulting in a gun battle with police in which several employees and  at least one policeman were injured (ibid.) The Boeana-Group is described as "one of the leaders among Moldova fuel importers" and has 1,500 employees (ibid.). Several days later it was reported that two shots were fired at Colonel Nicolae Alexei, the chief of the Anti-Corruption and Organized Crime Department and that department officers had been offered $200,000 to free one of those arrested at the Boeana-Group (ibid., 14 Apr. 1998). The Interior Ministry announced that it would continue to fight organized crime despite the attack and bribery attempt (ibid.).

Further evidence of the extent of organized crime activity in Moldova is found in a report of the arrests of an "organized crime group" operating in Northern Moldova (ibid., 19 May 1998). In the report the deputy head of criminal police within the Minister of the Interior is cited, claiming that this was the 64th organized crime group arrested in four months (ibid.).

However, according to a report in Jane's Intelligence Review, Moldova "has suffered less seriously than most other post-Soviet republics by the scourge of organized crime" (Feb. 1998, 3). According to the report's author, Mark Galeotti, Chisinau is dominated by five gangs, most other cities by one or two criminal organizations (ibid.). However, the report cautions that organized crime groups in the Trans-Dneistr Moldovan Republic (TDMR) are "far more powerful, active, ambitious, entrepreneurial and closely affiliated with the major mafiya gangs in Russia"  (ibid.).

In one report, Interior Ministry officials express doubts concerning the accuracy of statistics indicating a decrease in crime, claiming that many people are unwilling to report crime owing to fear (Basapress, 3 Aug. 1998). Instead of reporting crime some citizens "...ask for help of the organized crime structures" (ibid.). The same report also attributed the drop in crime "to the non-stop work regime of the police and a series of special operations organized by the Interior Ministry" (ibid.).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please see below the list of additional sources consulted in the preparation of this Response.

References

Basapress [Chisinau, in English]. 3 August 1998. "Moldova: Crime Rate Falls by 2.1 Percent in 1998". (FBIS-SOV-98-219 7 Aug. 1998/WNC)

_____ 19 May 1998. "Police Crack on Organized Crime Group in Northern Moldova" [Internet] <http://www.moldova.net/news/fresh/English/May-98/n-19-7.asp> [Accessed 28 October 1998]

_____ 14 April 1998. "Anti-corruption and Organized Crime Department Chief Assaulted" [Internet] [Accessed 28 October 1998]

        _____ 4 April 1998. "Boeana-group Employees Arrested on Suspicion". [Internet] [Accessed 28 October 1998]

Infotag [Chisinau, in English]. 17 November 1997. "Moldovan, Ukrainian and Romanian Ministers Sign Anti-crime Accord." (BBC Summary 17 Nov. 1997/NEXIS)

INTERLIK 14 January 1998. "Profit is a Driving Force of Crime" [Internet] [Accessed 28 October 1998]

ITAR-TASS [Moscow, in English] 21 July 1998. Larisa Kisinskaya. "CIS Ministers Agree Anti-Organized Crime Cooperation" ." (FBIS-SOV-98-202 21 July 1998/WNC)

Jane's Intelligence Review [London]. February 1998. Mark Galeotti. "Moldova's Criminal Timebomb Ticks On."

North Atlantic Assembly (NAA), Civilian Affairs Committee. 14 April 1997. "Organized Crime, Drug-related Crime and Illegal Migration in the Central and East European Region" [Internet] [Accessed 28 Oct. 1998]

Attachment

Jane's Intelligence Review [London]. February 1998. Mark Galeotti. "Moldova's Criminal Timebomb Ticks On."

Additional Sources Consulted

Transitions [Prague]. June 1997 - May 1998.

Resource Centre country file on Moldova. June 1997 - May 1998.

Electronic sources: IRB databases, Internet, NEXIS/LEXIS, REFWORLD, WNC.