House searches in Romania, USA and the Czech Republic, within an investigation regarding Internet scams


Several dozens of persons have already been brought to hearings, following the investigation coordinated by DIICOT. More than 800 victims were identified, and the suffered losses were estimated at EUR 800 000.


Approximately 200 people are targeted by the investigation which included 101 house searches in Bucharest, Valcea, Teleorman, Timis, Arges, Prahova, Brasov, Constanta, Dolj, Giurgiu, Suceava, Botosani, and Bacau, sources from the judiciary argued, quoted by NewsIn. House searches related to the same case took place in the USA and the Czech Republic.


According to the sources, the investigators hope that 70 of the approximately 200 people in question to be investigated in custody. Following the house searches in Bucharest, 15 persons suspected of Internet scams were taken to the DIICOT headquarters – the central structure, and are to be transferred to DIICOT Valcea for hearings. At the DIICOT HQ – the Valcea territorial office, 70 persons were taken in for hearings.


The DIICOT prosecutors, together with police and gendarmerie officers, managed to break three organized crime groups, specialized in Internet and e-commerce scams, which produced losses estimated at EUR 800 000. Since 2006, the group acted on the territory of several states: Spain, Italy, France, New Zealand, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Austria, the United States of America, Canada, Switzerland. More than 800 victims were identified. About 70 people were taken in for hearings, following the searches. The DIICOT prosecutors collaborated with FBI and Secret Service agents, from the Bucharest US Embassy.


Wall falls on tram rail, traffic restricted


The wall of an old house on Calea Mosilor, in the Capital’s Sector 2, crumbled on Tuesday, causing a temporary restriction of the traffic, to continue along a single lane. Road traffic was restricted on the first driving lane, on Calea Mosilor, up to the intersection with Hristo Botev, a Tuesday release of the Bucharest Traffic Police Brigade shows. There were no victims following the incident, and the area was sealed off. The building is in a state of extreme degradation, and its front and roof crumbled Tuesday morning, shedding debris up to the tram rail. The sector 2 mayor, Neculai Ontanu, announced on Tuesday that responsibility for the wall crumble on Calea Mosilor lies mainly with the owner, but also with the Bucharest City Hall, since it is one of the city’s heritage areas.


The mayor thinks the City Hall should have taken necessary measures a long time ago to prevent such an incident, given that the local administration notified it in writing of the poor state of crumbling-risk buildings in the heritage areas. “The owner risks criminal charges for the failure to maintain the Calea Mosilor building. It is a heritage area and, in this case, the higher responsibility rests with the owner, while the right to take note of the poor states of buildings rests with the City Hall,” Ontanu explained. The mayor said that there were other such shaky buildings, also on Calea Mosilor, mainly buildings that were claimed by previous owners and then neglected. Neculai Ontanu added that the persons resident in the building were evicted, because they were living there illegally.


Romanian army officials learn Chinese


Since early February ten Romanians are busy deciphering the enigmas of the Chinese language at the ‘Carol I’ National Defence University. A teacher sent by the Chinese Army is helping them in their endeavor. This is the first military laboratory of its kind opened as a consequence of the cooperation between the People’s Republic of China and an EU member state. ‘At first we focus on the phonetics, on the correct pronunciation of characters,’ Major Chen Chao explains. The Major arrived in Romania at the end of February. He states that the talent and hard work shown by the persons with whom he works has surprised him. ‘They’ve already learned 50 characters in two weeks’ time. It is amazing,’ Chen Chao stated. The Chinese professor will remain in Romania until the end of the year, plenty of time for him to explain the hidden meaning of other Chinese characters. However the nine months are not enough. ‘Despite the distance separating them, relations between Romania and China were almost always good. The apex was naturally reached during the communist period but the relations did not cool off significantly afterwards. At least the military cooperation was smooth. And that explains the recent step. Romania is the first European country in which we open this kind of military lab. We have Chinese language learning centers in Southern and Central Asia. Apart from that we dispatch only instructors,’ Chen Chao explains.


Major Laurentiu Truia states: ‘I believe that China will become a great power in the future and I am interested to know as much as possible about this country.’ The Major wants to be able to speak basic Chinese, no more. Until then he struggles to associate Chinese characters with words. In Romania there are approximately 450 persons that study the Chinese language. In Bucharest alone there are 80 advanced students, the Chinese Embassy representatives inform. Apart from the new class, there are several other centers for the study of the Chinese language: the Chinese Language Department within the Bucharest University, the similar department within ‘Spiru Haret,’ the one within the Confucius Institute of the Lucian Blaga University in Sibiu and the departments of the ‘Babes-Bolyai’ University in Cluj-Napoca and Iasi.