Intelligence Service Raids Moldovan Parliament Amid Russian Espionage Suspicions

Moldovan authorities initiated a search operation at the country’s Parliament building on Wednesday, July 31. According to the Intelligence and Security Service (SIS), the operation is linked to a criminal case overseen by the Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Crime and Special Cases (PCCOCS).

“Currently, procedural actions are underway in a criminal case led by PCCOCS prosecutors,” stated SIS spokesperson Daniela Mînzat. “We will provide further details later today,” she added.

PCCOCS spokesperson Emil Gaitur confirmed the operation. Unnamed sources within the SIS revealed to Free Europe that the investigation centers on an alleged espionage case, potentially targeting the head of Parliament’s Legal Department, Ion Creangă.

These sources claimed that Creangă was caught in the act of transmitting information to employees of the Russian Embassy in Chisinau. Another Moldovan news outlet Agora.md, citing their own sources, reported that Creangă and another civil servant were detained for 72 hours.

Official confirmation of the espionage allegations would mark the second such case in Moldova within two months. In June, investigative journalists asserted that former Chief of the General Staff Igor Gorgan regularly relayed information to Russia regarding Moldova’s internal political situation and Ukrainian military equipment purchases.

The PCCOCS opened a criminal case concerning the transmission of national defense-related data. Gorgan denies all charges and remains under investigation.

In July 2023, Moldova expelled 45 Russian diplomats and embassy staff, citing a pattern of hostile actions that undermined the country’s stability. The move came after reports surfaced about the Russian embassy in Chisinau operating 28 suspected surveillance antennas on its rooftop. These revelations heightened concerns about Russia’s interference in Moldova’s internal affairs.