Investigation starts in Romania in online contract killing facilitation ring

Prosecutors with the Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) and officers of its Cybercrime Combat Service (DCCO) carried out on Wednesday seven home searches in the counties of Gorj and Hunedoara to dismantle a group of Romanians who managed webpages where contract killing orders could be filed, Agerpres reports.

According to a DIICOT press statement, the searches were conducted on a request for a rogatory commission sent by the US in a case concerning the investigation of several Romanian citizens for organising a criminal group, soliciting to murder and money laundering.

Also involved in the operation was the US Homeland Security Investigations and the Diplomatic Security Service of US Embassy in Bucharest.

"As a matter of fact, the United States judicial authorities are targeting an organised criminal group that ran websites that posted offers for contract killings. The sites were only accessible through a network that used software programmed to conceal online surfing by encryption and traffic redirection via intermediary relays. The sites seem to accept service payment in cryptocurrency only. The US have determined that this group consists of five or more people located in Romania who acted in a coordinated manner for the administration of those sites and in order to launder proceeds from soliciting to murder," says DIICOT.

The damage caused in this case is put at about 500,000 euros.

During the raids, computers, telephones, documents of interest to the case were discovered and seized, and the amount of 30,000 lei was impounded.

The persons on whom arrest warrants were issued (5 suspects and 4 witnesses) were taken to the police units where the home searches were carried out for interviews to continue the investigation.