Interpol and FBI break up a cyber scheme in Moldova to get asylum for wanted criminals

By THOMAS ADAMSON and STEPHEN MCGRATH
Associated Press

PARIS (AP) — A sting by Interpol and the FBI has broken up attempts in Moldova to sabotage the international police agency’s Red Notice system. Officials said on Tuesday that four people were detained in the eastern European country. Moldova’s anticorruption chief said the operation, with help also from French and British authorities, uncovered an international criminal organization with ties to individuals in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus suspected of cybercrime. The individuals “paid intermediaries and public figures in Moldova to inform wanted criminals” of their Red Notice status, which flags people deemed fugitives to law enforcement worldwide. The scheme, involving multimillion dollars in bribes, sought to obtain asylum or refugee status for the wanted criminals.