“OLVIA-PRESS”

WHO DOES MOLDOVA SELL WEAPONS TO?

Last week, the Russian mass media raised again the issue of arms trade, which come from territory of the former Moldavian SSR. But this time, the question is not about slanderous accusations, which the official Kishinev has been moving against Dniestria for recent years and which has not received any evidence yet. By information of the famous Russian magazine “Kommersant-Dengi”, Moldova is the one that trades weapons. In the rating of arms-exporting countries, it occupied the honorable 10^th place, right after Russia and Israel.

This fact threw the official Kishinev into panic enough. The Moldavian ministry of economy hurried up to declare that any mass sale of arms abroad is out of question. For example, some little things are sold but only from ex-Soviet stockpiles. On the spot, the Moldavian authorities dumped it on the “gangster” Dniestria, whom, by their words, “Kommersant” might have meant.

The press agency “Olvia-press” carried out its investigation of the case. As it cleared up, the Russian magazine had not been mistaken – the question is really namely about Moldova. As the head of the DMR industrial complex Vyacheslav Sapronov informed the press agency “Olvia-press”, “Moldova is really busy with arms trade. Some Moldavian companies do not conceal it. Here is an advertising prospectus of one of Moldavian companies, which has official license and is legally busy with arms trade from Moldova to any countries that would like to deal with Moldova. Here are photos, family names, the general director, commercial director, and all addresses. What do they sell? Ammunition, all kinds of shooting arms, heavy vehicles – beginning with armored vehicles for infantry and finishing with jets. Volumes are unknown, it is usually both state and commercial secret”.

Re-sale itself is not illegal at all. That’s why, attempts of the official Kishinev to refuse the fact of arms re-sale put us on the guard. After all, as we have already informed, this is not the only Moldavian company sells weapon. As the agency “Olvia-press” found out, at least one similar company prospers in Moldova. That is, this business is rather profitable in Moldova. And here the major question arises – why? After all, judging by advertisement catalogues, not old Soviet arms but quite modern ones are being sold, and companies legally purchase on famous Russian plants and then re-sell them by considerably higher prices.

But who will but arms there where they are more expensive? The answer may be sole: those who cannot legally buy weapons accept proposals of Moldavian companies. That is, those who are illegal themselves and who needs whole parties of arms. And first of all, this is organized crime and terrorists. No single legal buyer will pay triple the price to a doubtful mediator; it is much safer and cheaper to buy a checked commodity with guarantee from producing plant. It means that shooting arms and ammunition, antiaircraft and antitank systems, land and air force vehicles – all that is in rather wide choice and leaves Moldova for criminal circles.

In opinion of the political scientist Serghey Ilchenko, “here is an interesting resemblance. It is known that Moldova is a favorite place for Chechen fighters. No matter that the President Voronin says as if Moldova fought and searched Chechens, Moldova was and still is a favorite place for fighters. And all that occurs under direct cover of the Moldavian police – everyone knows that. It is also known that Moldova is a kind of a ‘black hole’, where you may buy bribe any dignitary by paying maximum $500 and if you pay $1000 one will take the very President out of his office if you need him. So, just as, for example, Latvia is on of first places in Europe by non-ferrous metals trade, which it steals in neighboring Russia and smuggles abroad, Moldova sells arms nearly on the same bases”.

I must say we do not have direct evidence that Chechen terrorists and international criminals similar to them buy arms in Moldova. But the very fact of existence of such large-scaled arms exports from Moldova, which “Kommersant” has occasionally marked and which the Moldavian authorities have hurried up to refuse, already makes us think seriously. And we think, not only us.

O. Elkov