Moldovan oligarch caught with 21 fake documents in Greece, authorities say

Greek law enforcement authorities have seized a staggering 21 forged identification documents from fugitive Moldovan oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc, in what Moldovan police have described as an elaborate attempt to evade justice.

The discovery was made during a personal search at a Greek airport and a subsequent raid on a residence associated with Plahotniuc and his associate, Constantin Tsutsu, Caliber.Az reports, citing Ukrainian media.

“During a personal search at the airport, as well as during a search at their residence, a number of documents with different identities were found. Some of them were issued by the same country but contained different identities, different photos, and different dates/months/years of birth,” Moldovan law enforcement authorities stated.

Plahotniuc, long considered one of Moldova’s most controversial political and financial figures, was found in possession of a variety of forged documents from multiple countries. Specifically, he was carrying:

10 passports under various aliases, allegedly issued by Vanuatu, Iraq, Russia, Moldova, Ukraine, Romania, and Bulgaria (with some countries represented more than once);

4 identity cards, including those purportedly issued in Vanuatu, Bulgaria, and Romania;

6 driver’s licenses from Ukraine, Moldova, Bulgaria, Romania, and Russia;

1 Ukrainian internal passport.

The assortment of aliases used by Plahotniuc includes: Al Shahin Fereydoun, Shahin Yako, Antoke Mihai, Taushanov Mihail, Kirsanov Stanislav, and Vladimir Plahotniuc, his actual name.

Tsutsu, a former Moldovan MP and close associate of Plahotniuc, was also found in possession of five counterfeit documents, including Romanian and Bulgarian identification papers.

Plahotniuc, who fled Moldova amid a sweeping anti-corruption crackdown in 2019, is wanted in connection with a series of high-profile criminal cases, including money laundering, fraud, and the so-called “theft of the billion” — a scandal involving the disappearance of roughly $1 billion from Moldovan banks.

The Moldovan authorities have confirmed that they are in close communication with their Greek counterparts regarding potential extradition procedures.

By Vafa Guliyeva