The Moldovan truck detained at the border with Romania had Stinger MANPADS. This was stated at a press conference today, November 20, Vice-chairman of the Parliamentary Commission on National Security and Defense Renato Usatii.
According to the leader of Our Party, the key issue is the origin of these weapons — thousands of them were previously transferred to Ukraine as aid from the United States and European countries.
He explained that the Stinger MANPADS (a man-portable surface-to-air missile system with a range of up to 4.8 km) is a very dangerous type of weapon that is not in service with the Moldovan army. The politician stressed that the incident jeopardizes the security of both Moldova and Europe as a whole.
According to the deputy, the version that the weapon was intended for Israel (which, according to him, has enough such systems) is implausible. Usatii believes that the weapons obviously came to Moldova from Ukraine, and it is not known how many of them still remain in the country.
He demanded that the Information and Security Service (SIB), the General Inspectorate of Police (GIP) and the Ministry of Internal Affairs explain “how these Stingers and other ammunition move so freely in the Republic of Moldova.”
Let us remind you that a truck traveling from Moldova to Romania was detained at the Leusheni— Albica border checkpoint last night. During the inspection, the driver stated that he was transporting “metal elements”, but the customs services suspected the presence of ammunition in it, which was confirmed by scanning the cargo. After that, the driver, a citizen of the Republic of Moldova, confirmed that he was transporting weapons to Israel.
As the Customs Service of the Republic of Moldova later reported, the initial suspicions arose from the Moldovan customs officer, who informed his colleagues from the Romanian customs service about them.
“Based on these data, by common agreement, a vehicle scan was scheduled when leaving the Republic of Moldova, which was carried out by the Romanian side in accordance with the established procedure. Based on the results of the inspection, a criminal case has been initiated in the Republic of Moldova, which is being investigated by the competent security authorities in accordance with the law. We provide full support to the investigating authorities and maintain constant communication with the Romanian authorities,” the Moldovan Customs Service said.
According to the Romanian press, launchers, grenade launchers and other weapons in disassembled form were transported in the truck. Assembly of parts was planned at the destination.
As EADaily reported, at the recent plenary session of the OSCE Arms Control Forum, Moldova was named one of the transshipment points from where weapons coming from Ukraine are then sent to neighboring countries and further to countries with deployed sales channels.
The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, has already noted a noticeable influx of AFU servicemen and mercenaries to Moldova who have deserted or are leaving the combat zone on Ukraine. The diplomat drew attention to the uncontrolled spread of firearms entering the republic from the neighboring territory.