Six people were detained in Romania by organized crime prosecutors on suspicion of forming a group with the aim of “undermining the sovereignty and independence of the Romanian state by undermining the country’s political and defense capacity.”
The group which was organized like a military structure and prosecutors named retired Major General Radu Theodoru as a suspect.
Members of the group were in contact with foreign agents, in Romania and Russia, and took steps to negotiate with foreign political-military factors Romania’s withdrawal from NATO, the removal of the constitutional order, the dissolution of political parties, the installation of a new Government, the removal of all employees from state institutions, the adoption of a new constitution, the change of the country’s name, flag and anthem, the investigators claim.
In January, two of the defendants traveled to Moscow, where they came into contact with people willing to support the organization’s efforts to take over state power in Romania, News.ro reports.
The prosecutors of the Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism Crimes – Central Structure have ordered the detention of 6 defendants, investigated for setting up an organized criminal group and treason, DIICOT announced on Thursday.
“From the evidence administered in the case, it emerged that, starting with 2023, five of the defendants together with a suspect formed an organized criminal group in order to undermine the sovereignty and independence of the Romanian state by undermining the country’s political and defense capacity. Starting with 2024, another defendant joined the organized crime group, all members carrying out continuous, conscious, public or conspiratorial actions in order to achieve the proposed goal. Also, the members of the criminal group have repeatedly come into contact with agents of a foreign power, located both on the territory of Romania and the Russian Federation,” DIICOT prosecutors say.
According to the quoted source, the organized crime group was established under the guise of an organization and developed on the type of a military-type structure, with leadership echelons (general staff) and execution personnel, represented by the image of the suspect investigated in the case, a retired major general.
Judicial sources say that the major is retired The investigators say that, following the investigations, it was established that the members of the organized criminal group, through online platforms, recruited followers and published videos (notifications addressed to the Romanian state authorities, national and international organizations).
“Also, the defendants took steps to carry out negotiations with external political-military factors regarding Romania’s withdrawal from the military alliance to which it is a part, the removal of the current constitutional order, the dissolution of political parties, the installation of a new Government made up of members of the organization who will occupy positions of ministers, the removal of all employees from state institutions, the adoption of a new constitution, the change of the country’s name, of the flag and the anthem. At the same time, during January, two of the defendants traveled to Moscow, where they came into contact with people willing to support the organization’s efforts to take over state power in Romania,” DIICOT adds.
On Wednesday, eight home searches were carried out in Bucharest and the counties of Ilfov, Giurgiu and Maramureş and evidence was taken away.
The judicial activities were carried out together with the policemen of the Directorate for Combating Organized Crime, with the support of the officers of the Counterintelligence and Military Security Directorate of the General Directorate of Defense Intelligence, of the Romanian Intelligence Service and of the General Directorate of Internal Protection of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
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