Romanian lawmaker accused of smuggling industrial equipment to bypass EU sanctions

Romanian authorities have launched a major investigation into a USR party politician suspected of collaborating with a local criminal organization to smuggle a VL40 vertical turning machine to Belarus, a country with close ties to Russia. DIICOT prosecutors executed a total of twelve searches in Bucharest and the counties of Dâmboviţa, Bacău and Ilfov, uncovering evidence of the alleged scheme. The industrial equipment in question can be used for both civilian manufacturing and the production of military items, raising concerns about sanction evasion.

The operation is reported to have been intended to bypass EU measures targeting Russia and its allies. In response, USR officials indicated that if the allegations are proven, the individual could be expelled from the party, and they are pushing a legislative amendment to classify violations of EU sanctions as grave offenses rather than mere regulatory breaches.