DIICOT large-scale operation against Brăila clan: 23 suspects charged with extreme violence and economic crimes
Investigators conducted raids on Thursday in dozens of properties in Brăila and Galați, targeting a local criminal network suspected of four attempted murders, intimidation acts and loan-sharking offences.
DIICOT large-scale operation against Brăila clan: 23 suspects charged with extreme violence and economic crimes
Law enforcement conducted raids on Thursday in dozens of residences and premises in Brăila and Galați counties, in an operation that also targeted spaces within a local detention facility. Target: a criminal network with roots in the Danube city, reports romania-actualitati.ro.
From 2021 to the present, an initial cell formed of three men is said to have managed to attract another 20 accomplices. Together, the 23 are believed to have created a parallel system of power in the area, based on terror and illicit profits.
The method was brutal: victims were physically attacked, sometimes with the clear intention of taking their lives. Prosecutors have identified four cases in which the assaults went to the point of being lethal. The reason? Elimination of any form of opposition and the imposition of fear amongst the community.
But violence was not the only weapon. The gang is said to have provided loans at exorbitant interest rates, trapping debtors in a vicious cycle of debt. Moreover, there are indications that some people were reduced to a state of slavery, exploited financially or in other ways.
On Thursday, masked officers broke down doors. The raids targeted both the suspects' residences and surprising spaces—including one of the correctional institutions in the area. Evidence gathered will determine how many of the 23 will end up behind bars.
The investigation continues.
Source: Google News RO — Crime (ro)