Over 900 criminal files related to drug trafficking; Moldovan interior minister says ministry proposes draft to tighten penalties for narcotic substances' trafficking

Over 900 criminal cases related to drug trafficking have been registered since the beginning of the year 2025. The Interior Ministry (MAI), jointly with the General Police Inspectorate (IGP), has proposed a draft to toughen penalties for this type of offenses.

Interior Minister Daniella Misail-Nichitin emphasized that drug trafficking stayed a challenge for Moldova.

“To discourage this phenomenon, a draft was proposed to tighten the penalties for trafficking in narcotic substances. They will be applied for the circulation and smuggling of prohibited substances, including precursors and other psychotropic substances. Likewise, we will tighten penalties for those involving minors in drug trafficking,” said Daniella Misail-Nichitin.

At the same time, the official announced that, next week, a meeting of the National Anti-Drug Commission will be held.

“There are three groups working sectorally. The first one is dedicated to combating this type of crime, another focuses on prevention and education measures and the third on health measures and reducing public health risks. Also, Moldova has initiated and institutionalized the National Drug Observatory. Also, the Early Warning System has been created, and in 2026, a national-level policy document in the field of drugs prevention and combating is to be carried out,” emphasized Daniella Misail-Nichitin.

The new legislative proposals provide for harsher sanctions for those who involve minors in drug consumption or transmit prohibited substances to them. For these acts, only imprisonment will be applied, with fines being eliminated. Aggravating forms will also be introduced, for example, when the act is committed with violence, in educational institutions, near schools or by multiple persons.

For very serious cases, such as the involvement of a criminal organization or particularly large quantities, the penalty can reach up to 20 years in prison.

Moreover, the law will limit the situations in which a person can avoid criminal liability for drug-related acts. Release from liability will be possible only in exceptional cases, when the act was not committed for sale or distribution purposes.

At the same time, sanctions will be more severe for the sowing, cultivation, or distribution of prohibited substances, including ethnobotanicals and new psychoactive substances. Similarly, it will no longer be possible to avoid criminal liability when the act was committed for sale purposes.

Thus, the changes proposed by the authorities bring harsher penalties for aggravated forms of offenses, broaden the list of prohibited substances and clarify the regime of precursors, ethnobotanicals and new substances appearing on the market. Also, the legal framework will provide much more severe sanctions for smuggling drugs and weapons, including for serious cases or within criminal groups, in order to deter these acts and protect citizens' safety.

At the same time, the legislation is harmonized with European standards, so that responsible public authorities can intervene more promptly and effectively, based on a solid framework meant to protect the health and safety of each citizen.