Romanian Court Places 15 Border Police Officers Under Arrest

The Bucharest Court of Appeals has issued 29-day preventive arrest warrants for 15 of the 30 border police officers from Albita customs in eastern Romania detained Monday on charges of bribe taking and cigarette smuggling.

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The arrest rulings may be appealed at the High Court of Justice.

The court is expected to rule on prosecutors' claim to have the rest of the detained border police officers arrested.

Authorities raided Monday the Albita border crossing point, one of the most important and busiest crossing points in eastern Romania, and took in 53 border police officers for questioning on suspicion of bribe taking and smuggling.

Early February, authorities arrested 59 border police and customs workers at the Siret crossing point in northeastern Romania on charges of corruption and contraband. Also, 90 people have been arrested under the same charges following raids through five border crossing points in western Romania.

The raids are prompted by a decision the country's High Council for Defense adopted in June 2010 in a bid to crack down on tax evasion and contraband.

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