A Moldovan oligarch and former senior politician has been extradited from Greece accused of involvement in the theft of $1bn (£748m).
Vladimir Plahotniuc, 59, was flown from Athens to Chisinau on Thursday morning and then taken to a detention centre in Moldova’s capital, local officials said.
The tycoon, who faces several long-running criminal cases in Moldova, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and has vowed to prove his innocence.
His extradition comes days before Sunday’s parliamentary elections, with President Maia Sandu warning that Moldova’s independence and European future are in danger because of attempts by Russia to foment violence and spread disinformation.
Vladimir Plahotniuc fled Moldova in 2019, when his Democratic Party was voted out of power.
On Thursday morning, he was seen being escorted from the plane he arrived in by Moldovan police and Interpol officials.
He was then put in a car and driven away from the airport.
In a post on social media, President Sandu wrote: “If you don’t give up when it’s hard and keep fighting – the whole society keeps fighting – even criminals who seemed invincible come to justice.”
His lawyer Lucian Rogac accused Sandu’s pro-EU government of turning his client’s extradition “into a tasteless political spectacle” ahead of the key elections.
The lawyer also said his client’s “fundamental rights” were violated during the extradition process that started on 22 July with his arrest in Athens’ airport at Moldova’s request.
The tycoon is one of the main suspects in the disappearance of $1bn from three Moldovan banks in 2014 – a case known as the “theft of the century”.
At the time, the sum was reported to be worth more than 10% of Moldova’s gross domestic product.
His extradition comes as the impoverished country between Romania and Ukraine is preparing for 28 September elections that will determine whether Moldova continues its integration with the EU, or returns to Russia’s political influence.
Earlier this week, Sandu accused Moscow of “pouring hundreds of millions of euros” into Moldova in a bid to stoke violence and spread disinformation and fear.
“The Kremlin believes we are all for sale. That we are too small to resist… But Moldova is our home. And our home is not for sale,” the president said.
The BBC has recently uncovered evidence of a network with ties to Moscow and fugitive Moldovan businessman Ilan Shor which has been working to spread disinformation.
An undercover reporter found people being paid to post fake content online, intended to undermine the governing party ahead of the vote. The posts have had millions of views. Shor has not responded to a BBC request for comment.
Speaking at the UN’s General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Europe could not afford to lose Moldova to Russian influence, after failing to save Georgia and Belarus from Moscow’s orbit.
Zelensky said that Russian President Vladimir Putin – who launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 – “will keep driving the war forward wider and deeper” if he was not stopped.
Meanwhile, Moldova’s pro-Russian parties have accused Sandu of trying to intimidate them – and sway the vote.
They also say her government is not going far enough in tackling widespread corruption.
Russia’s SVR foreign intelligence service this week accused European countries of plotting the “blatant falsification” of the result on Sunday in order to provoke protests.
The SVR warned that the EU could mount “an armed incursion and de-facto occupation” of Moldova, falsely claiming that the EU was deploying troops.
Moldova declared its independence as the USSR collapsed in 1991, but it has a significant Russian-speaking population. The breakaway region of Transnistria, propped up by Moscow, is still home to a contingent of Russian troops.
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has rescued 15 persons, including foreign nationals, after uncovering a suspected human trafficking syndicate allegedly operating under the guise of an online marketing company in Nasarawa State.
The rescue followed an operation by the agency in Keffi and Karu local government areas based on credible intelligence about suspicious activities linked to fraudulent online marketing operations.
NAPTIP disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday via its X handle.
It said the operation was conducted on May 7, 2026, by officers of its Investigation Department and the Intelligence and International Cooperation Unit.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that fifteen (15) persons comprising four (4) female victims and eleven (11) male victims were found at the location. Among the male victims, three (3) were identified as Nigerians, while others are foreign nationals.
“Findings indicate that the suspects allegedly operated under the guise of an online marketing company to recruit and harbour unsuspecting persons in conditions suspected to be connected to human trafficking, cyber-related exploitation, and other organised criminal activities,” the statement read.
NAPTIP described the development as a serious security and humanitarian concern, citing the deceptive recruitment methods allegedly used by the traffickers and the vulnerability of victims to exploitation.
It said investigations were ongoing to uncover the full extent of the network and arrest other collaborators linked to the syndicate.
The agency also reiterated its commitment to combating human trafficking and urged members of the public to report suspicious recruitment activities and movements within their communities to relevant authorities.
Officers of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command have apprehended suspected vandals in connection with the looting and theft of items from a truck involved in an accident along the Calabar–Itu Highway.
A statement issued by the command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John, in Uyo on Monday said the suspects were arrested on Sunday, while vandalising and stealing from a truck that had fallen into a valley at the Afaha community located along the Highway.
According to the statement, the operatives, after credible intelligence, mobilised to the scene and arrested one Adamu Hamza, aged 19, and a native of Maiduguri, Borno State, who was found in possession of four suspected stolen truck tyres.
In a follow-up operation, they also arrested the tricycle operator, one Anthony James, who was allegedly used to convey the stolen items from the scene.
The statement reads in part, “The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has recorded another operational breakthrough following the arrest of suspected vandals involved in the looting and theft of items from an accidented truck along the Calabar–Itu Highway.
“On 10th May, 2026, at about 22:00 hours, Operatives of the Command acted swiftly on credible intelligence received through a tricycle operator regarding the activities of criminal elements vandalizing and stealing from a truck that had fallen into a valley at Afaha along the Calabar–Itu Highway.
“Acting promptly on the information, Police operatives mobilized to the scene and successfully arrested one Adamu Hamza ‘M’, aged 19, a native of Maiduguri, in possession of four suspected stolen truck tyres, with the value yet to be ascertained.
“Further investigation led to the arrest of the tricycle operator, one Anthony James, who was allegedly used to convey the stolen items from the scene.”
DSP John, who disclosed that the suspects are currently in Police custody, noted that efforts are ongoing to apprehend other fleeing accomplices connected to the criminal act.
She stated that the commissioner of police in the state, CP Baba Mohammed Azare, has warned all criminal elements to desist from looting accident scenes, and has also reiterated the command’s commitment to strengthening its surveillance and deploying intelligence-driven policing strategies to safeguard lives and property across the state.
She called on members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to the Police, urging them to remain law-abiding and security-conscious at all times.
Gunmen have opened fire on the head office of a local security outfit, codenamed OSPAC, at Erema Street in Omoku town, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, injuring one officer. OSPAC is the acronym for Onelga Security and Peace Advisory Committee.
It was gathered that the incident which occurred at about 8:10pm on Saturday night caused pandemonium as residents and passersby scampered for safety.
Though the reason for the attack could not be ascertained as at the time of filing this report, it was gathered that the assailants rode on two cars, one of which was an ash-coloured Lexus Jeep.
Speaking to newsmen on Sunday, the Public Relations Officer of the security outfit in Rivers State, Godknows Nkem, said its office is a place where people come to lodge various complaints.
Nkem, however, expressed surprise how the gunmen drove into the office and started shooting indiscriminately, leaving one of its personnel with an ankle injury.
He stated, “At that hour of the day, the gunmen drove in and started shooting sporadically. Nobody died, but one of our personnel sustained a bullet injury on his ankle. Our station guards later repelled the attack.
“The fear of OSPAC is the beginning of wisdom in the entire Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA and Rivers State at large. Just that for the past eight months we came on board, our welfare has not been catered for. We have been struggling to survive.”
The state OSPAC image maker however urged residents of ONELGA to be law abiding and go about their normal activities without fear and assured that the perpetrators will be fished out.
When contacted on Sunday afternoon, spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, Blessing Agabe, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, confirmed the attack on the vigilante office, saying investigation is ongoing.
Agabe stated, “I can confirm the incident. No arrest for now because the incident happened late in the night, but investigation is ongoing to unmask the identities of the perpetrators with a view to bringing them to justice.”
