DIICOT dismantles Brăila gang accused of extreme violence, loan-sharking and human trafficking
DIICOT prosecutors carried out 29 searches on Thursday in Brăila, Galați and in a prison, dismantling a network of 24 people accused of attempted aggravated murder, extortion, loan-sharking, human trafficking and money laundering.
DIICOT dismantles Brăila gang accused of extreme violence, loan-sharking and human trafficking
On Thursday, 16 July 2026, DIICOT prosecutors launched a large-scale operation against a criminal network from Brăila. Investigators conducted raids at 29 locations in Brăila and Galați counties, including a detention facility, successfully dismantling an organisation with 24 members, according to Digi24.ro.
The structure was initiated in 2021 by three individuals from the city of Brăila. Gradually, 21 other accomplices joined or supported the illegal activities. All acted under the command of a 50-year-old man.
Over a period of five years, members of the gang committed acts of extraordinary brutality. They attempted to kill four people, resorting to extreme violence to assert their authority in the area, to intimidate rivals and to maintain their feared image in the local criminal underworld.
Investigators noted that the blows inflicted, the objects used as weapons, and the areas of the body targeted could have resulted in the victims' deaths. The victims' survival was due exclusively to prompt medical intervention and their own reactions, not to the will of the attackers.
The leader of the gang is also being investigated for issuing loans with interest without legal authorisation. He charged exorbitant interest rates — weekly, monthly or on fixed terms — and forced his debtors to guarantee them with property or luxury vehicles. Those who delayed payment were subjected to campaigns of intimidation and psychological pressure.
The illicit profits were subsequently concealed. Between 2021 and 2026, the head of the network is said to have transferred expensive cars and other goods in the names of relatives, whilst remaining the actual beneficiary, in order to conceal the origin of the money.
Additionally, two members of the gang recruited two young women, whom they forced to engage in prostitution in Switzerland, Austria and in several cities in Romania.
Source: Digi24