By Anthony Marcus for Eurasia Business News, July 20, 2025. Article n°1640.

The Moldovan oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc has been detained in Greece. According to recent reports, he was intercepted while traveling and was headed to Dubai at the time of his arrest.

Plahotniuc is a fugitive wanted for multiple charges including fraud, money laundering, and leading a criminal organization related to a massive $1 billion theft from Moldova’s banking system between 2012 and 2014. At the time this fraud was equivalent to about an eighth of Moldova’s annual GDP.

The oligarch fled Moldova in 2019 as he faced a series of corruption charges including allegations of complicity in the scheme that led to the $1 billion theft. The U.S. declared him persona non grata in 2020 and his whereabouts were unknown for years.

Despite international efforts to extradite him, including from the US and Turkey, he has evaded capture until this recent detention in Greece.

Interpol issued a Red Notice for Plahotniuc, who holds multiple passports including Moldovan, Romanian, Russian, and a fraudulent Mexican one. Many countries have sought his extradition due to his alleged involvement in extensive corruption schemes. His arrest in Greece marks a significant development amid ongoing international pressure on him.

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No further details about extradition plans or legal proceedings following his detention in Greece have yet been officially announced.

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© Copyright 2025 – Eurasia Business News. Article no. 1640.