Moldova cracks down on fake Romanian passports

Desperate Moldovans standing in line outside the Romanian consulate in Chisinau. Many bought fake passports instead.

CHISINAU (Tiraspol Times) – In a crackdown on organized crime, Moldovan police broke up a group producing counterfeit Romanian passports and other fake documents in Chisinau, the Moldovan capital. A government-connected mafia ran a slick joint-venture between Moldovan and Romanian citizens, supplying fake EU passports to Moldovans desperate to leave.

According to Head of Operations of the Moldovan Ministry of Interior, Ghenadie Cosovan, the criminal group’s business premises housed high-end professional document printing equipment worth approximately €50,000. Office stationery included blank forms for different types of documents, including Romanian EU passports, official driver’s licenses, ID cards, and a host of other documents. Although fake passports are very common in Moldova, Mr. Cosovan indicated that this is the first case this kind which the police has been able to break up.

The fake passport operation employed six workers in total and was run by a Moldovan, Gheorghe Macari. Blank official forms for various documents were imported from Romania. Macari’s customers consisted of Moldovan citizens desperate to travel to the European Union, and willing to pay a steep fee for a forged Romanian passport. In Moldova, fake EU passports are priced at between €600 to €1,000 euro.

The Romanian connection

Authorities suspect a Romanian government connection, noting that it is unclear however how the six-employee outfit was able to obtain large quantities of blank forms of official documents. Without “support” from the relevant authorities in Romania, this would have been difficult says a specialist with knowledge of the case.

Strong demand for Romanian citizenship was created by the new visa regime between Moldova and Romania. The two countries, which previously were united in one state when Moldova was part of Romania in the interwar years, are now separated after Romania joined the EU but Moldova didn't.

In January 2007, the date from which Romania joined the EU, travel throughout Europe became easier for Romanian citizens but harder for Moldovans. Citizens of Moldova who previously were able to enter Romania easily are now faced with a tough new immigration policy on the border with Romania, and the need to obtain Schengen visas and other EU visas. On 17 May, The Tiraspol Times reported on the results of our special four week investigation into the brisk trade of EU visas for sale in Moldova.

Single citizenship places inevitable restrictions on the travel itineraries of citizens on both sides of the Dniester River. In Pridnestrovie (Transnistria), more than 90% of the population support PMR independence and have taken out a PMR citizenship as a result. But no country recognizes Pridnestrovie's statehood yet, so the passports are worthless for travel.

The situation is better in Moldova, but not by much. Visas are still needed, so many locals are now seeking a second citizenship. Romanian citizenships are easy to get for most Moldovans: Nearly every Moldovan can present proof of his or her Romanian roots, and is therefore automatically eligible for dual citizenship.

800,000 Moldovans want to become Romanians

Romanian President Traian Basescu said that almost half a million Moldovans have already applied, and that by the end of this year, some 800,000 Moldovans are underway to becoming Romanians.

Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin responded indignantly but rather incoherently to his counterpart’s statements. Presidential mudslinging has a painful, practical effect for Moldovan citizens: President Voronin withdrew permission for two Romanian consulates in Balti (Northern Moldova) and Cahul (Southern Moldova) to process visa applications and thus ease the flow at the single Romanian consulate in Chisinau.

The harder it is to get a legal visa, the more demand there will be for fake documents. And although he is now behind bars, Gheorghe Macari is not the only one in the fake passport market. Others are already filling the market need, and it is only a matter of time before other networks will be dismantled in the future.

Some even believe that the ties stretch right into Romania's diplomatic representation in Chisinau. If the Romanian consulate sells EU visas why shouldn’t it sell EU citizenships? Sadly, in dealing with this particular organization, diplomatic immunity applies and the Moldovan police is powerless.

Forged passports play a large role in facilitating human trafficking. According to the IOM, an intergovernmental organization established in 1951 with 120 member states, Moldova is one of the main sources for human trafficking and sex slavery in Europe.

See also:
» EU visas for sale in Moldova
» Tiraspol says "Black Hole" is in Moldova, not in PMR
» Moldova falling apart as corruption, poverty force half the country to leave