A group suspected of forging around $20 million of almost “perfect quality” last year have been arrested in Moldova. Former policemen, an opposition politician and a chemist are said to be involved.
The quality of the bills produced was so high that the forgery could only be detected with a special high-tech machine. Moldovan Interior Minister Georgy Papuk said there was a large net of fake money distributors, and that most of the bogus bucks were intended for the Czech Republic and Russia.
According to Papuk, $2 million of fake money have been withdrawn in the suburbs of the Moldovan capital Chisinau.
It is suspected that the criminal group was lead by a former member of the Academy of Sciences, Valentin Rimsky, who hadserved a term in prison for a similar crime in 2005. Among other suspected members of the gang are three former Interior Ministry officials, one of them, Ion Platon, now a candidate for the Moldovan parliament from the opposition alliance “Our Moldova.”
Eleven suspects have been already detained, and others are being searched for.
A special agent from the US Federal Reserve has flown in to help with the investigation.