Romanian authorities have dismantled a large criminal network responsible for producing counterfeit documents and selling them to citizens from Ukraine, Moldova, and Russia.
The operation, which involved collaboration with officials from two municipal offices in Botoșani County, near the borders of Ukraine and Moldova, was uncovered following an extensive investigation.
The criminals targeted abandoned houses in the region—properties once owned by individuals who had either passed away or emigrated. With the assistance of local officials, the fraudsters were able to produce fake Romanian identification cards. These counterfeit documents, which could be altered to change names, places of birth, and other personal details, were sold to buyers for 350-400 euros. In many cases, the buyers were registered at the addresses of deceased Romanian citizens, with some even being assigned to non-residential locations.
In one municipality in Botoșani County, authorities revealed that as many as 10,000 fake documents had been produced as part of the scheme.
