Woman charged with refrigerant smuggling
24th April 2023
ROMANIA: Suceava border police have charged a woman with attempting to smuggle four cylinders of refrigerant across the border from Ukraine.
The 34-year-old woman, with dual Romanian-Ukrainian citizenship, was stopped on Sunday (April 23) at the Siret border crossing point. During a check of the Ukrainian-registered Mercedes Sprinter minibus, 80 packs of cigarettes were discovered hidden in the personal luggage, and behind the back seat four cylinders of refrigerant for which the driver could not present supporting documents.
The cylinders were removed in order to continue the research and the woman fined 5,000 Romanian leu (€1,014). The border police also filed a criminal case against the woman for the crimes of attempted smuggling and transport and transit of dangerous substances and preparations.
In a similar case earlier this month, the Suceava border police seized 12 cylinders of illegal refrigerant in the Romanian town of Vicovu de Sus on the border with Ukraine. The refrigerant was also hidden in a Mercedes Benz Sprinter van and was driven by a man with dual Romanian and Ukrainian citizenship.
