Several people under investigation for treason, espionage

Chisinau, 23 Feb. /MOLDPRES/- The Intelligence and Security Service /SIS/, jointly with the Prosecutor's Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases, announced today that they are investigating an agency network involving the citizens of Moldova and another state in actions of treason and espionage.

According to the SIS, the five persons - citizens of Moldova, two of whom were detained and placed in custody in December 2022, and the other three persons have suspect status, were co-opted by exponents of the special services from a third country, with role of assisting them, a role described in the Criminal Code as actions related to "committing hostile activity against the Republic of Moldova", including actions to destabilize and change the constitutional order in the state, through violence.

Additionally, based on the accumulated evidence, in the sights of the law enforcement officers are also citizens of another state, investigated for espionage, who directed and financed the subversive activities of people from Moldova.

Actions are being investigated starting in 2020, both planned and partially realized actions, related to facilitating financial transfers, inciting inter-ethnic hatred, animating destabilizing spirits and intolerance towards certain categories of citizens, including recruiting people to participate in mass protests, likely to degenerate into acts of violence in the interest of a foreign state.

According to the criminal law, acts of treason are punishable by imprisonment from 12 to 20 years.