Vladimir Plahotniuc, the leader of the Democratic Party, speaks at a press conference in Chisinau, Moldova, on Feb. 24, 2019. [Vadim Ghirda/AP]
Vladimir Plahotniuc, the fugitive Moldovan oligarch implicated in a $1 billion bank fraud and other illicit schemes arrested in Athens, lived in luxurious villa in Saronida and had obtained Greek identity documents with false documentation, it has emerged.
Plahotniuc, 59, was arrested on Sunday at Athens International Airport, as he was about to board a flight to Dubai.
Also arrested with him was Constantin Tutu, 38, a former kickboxer and MP from the same party as Plahotniuc, against whom an international wanted notice is pending from the Russian authorities for participation in a drug trafficking ring.
Police had tracked the two men to a villa in Saronida, in eastern Attica.
Plahotniuc had managed to obtain a genuine Greek identity card and passport using fake documents. He also held a Greek driver’s license.
A search of the Saronida property yielded approximately €155,000 in cash, 17 fake passports and IDs from various countries, storage systems with specialized security software, numerous mobile phones and computers, as well as four luxury high-value watches.
According to police sources, the surveillance of the two suspects revealed that they lived primarily in the house and frequently changed their country of residence, with Plahotniuc reportedly traveling to 22 different countries since 2023.
On Sunday afternoon, the two men called a taxi and, with a small amount of luggage, they headed to the airport for a flight to Dubai.
Police managed to delay their departure and arrest them at the gates for non-Schengen flights.
In a search of Plahotniuc’s person, Bulgarian travel documents, €2,670, two mobile phones, a laptop and digital storage media were found.
Forged Romanian and Bulgarian travel documents and permits were found in Tuto’s possession, along with money and mobile phones.
The two arrested men are due to appear before a prosecutor on Wednesday.