Gangster Vacations Come to a Close in Athens
In a significant development, Vladimir Plahotniuc, a former powerful Moldovan political figure and oligarch, was arrested at Athens airport in July 2025. He was detained alongside his party colleague Constantin Țuțu and Miss Moldova 2019, Elizaveta Kuznitova.
Plahotniuc, who had been wanted by Interpol since February 2019, has been in 22 countries since 2023. His arrest sends a strong signal to Moldova and those who doubted the possibility of justice.
Plahotniuc was a key player in the "theft of the century" in Moldova, involving fraudulent bank transactions and laundering of nearly $22 billion through Russian, Moldovan, and Baltic banks. He has been accused of manipulating the Moldovan judicial system to facilitate this laundering, a claim he has denied.
The Moldovan authorities have proved Russian influence and election manipulation by Plahotniuc, who had promised the West to be the bastion against Russian influence in Moldova. As the former head of the Democratic Party, he unofficially held control over politics, justice, media, and the security apparatus.
The arrest of Plahotniuc is part of a European power question: whether the rule of law and democracy will prevail or a criminal oligarch will win. Moldova has requested his extradition, but whether it will proceed is still uncertain. Meanwhile, the US and UK have imposed sanctions on him and frozen his assets due to corruption allegations.
Ilan Șor, the second-richest oligarch in Moldova, is currently living in exile in Moscow. Both Plahotniuc and Șor are considered the main actors in the billion-dollar theft of 2014 in Moldova. Șor has attempted to destabilize Moldova through bought votes, orchestrated protests, and pro-Russian campaigns.
Over a billion US dollars, around 12 percent of Moldova's GDP, disappeared in the theft of 2014 and has never resurfaced. An exclusive investigation by The Insider revealed that Plahotniuc allegedly traveled to Moscow several times under a false name in recent years, most recently in April 2025 for secret meetings.
The European Court of Justice confirmed last year that Șor organized violent demonstrations against the pro-Western government. Russia has demanded Plahotniuc's extradition and charged him with money laundering, which Moldovan police view as a pretext to provide him with protection and freedom.
Plahotniuc resided in a villa in the hills above Athens, which served as a criminal hideout and stage for a major crime story. He was apprehended with 155,000 euros in cash, 17 identities, and several Rolex watches.
In a democratic Moldova, led by a pro-Western, pro-European president, criminal oligarchs like Plahotniuc can be held accountable for their actions. The arrest of Plahotniuc marks a step forward in Moldova's fight against corruption and election manipulation.
Politics and general-news have intertwined in the arrest of Vladimir Plahotniuc, a former Moldovan political figure and oligarch, in July 2025. His arrest, amidst allegations of bank fraud, corruption, and manipulation of the Moldovan judicial system, sends a strong message that crime-and-justice issues will be addressed in Moldova.
