Romania charges former Moldovan intelligence services head with treason for spying

A former high-ranking officer of the Intelligence and Security Service of the Republic of Moldova, reportedly former deputy head Alexandru Bălan, on September 8 was detained by the Romanian prosecutors of the Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) and is investigated for the crime of treason, according to Agerpres, quoting a DIICOT press release. 

The identity of the officer was confirmed by sources in Moldova. Alexandru Bălan, a career officer, had been appointed deputy director of SIS in 2016.

“The evidence administered revealed that, starting with 2024 and until now, the suspect, who previously held management positions within the Intelligence and Security Service of the Republic of Moldova, was engaged in activities of unauthorized disclosure of secret state information to representatives of a foreign power, namely officers from the State Security Committee – KGB of the Republic of Belarus, under conditions likely to endanger the national security of Romania,” reads the DIICOT press release.

According to the Romanian prosecutors, between 2024 and 2025, the suspect held two meetings, both in Budapest, Hungary, with information officers of the State Security Committee – KGB in the Republic of Belarus, with reasonable suspicion that these meetings were held for the purpose of transmitting instructions and making payments for the services provided.

Bălan initially collaborated with the intelligence service of the Russian Federation, according to sources consulted by Digi24. Only later would he come to collaborate with Belarusian intelligence services, who can operate more easily than Russians on the territory of the European Union, the sources explained. 

The investigation, carried out under the aegis of EUROJUST, benefited from the support of the information services in Romania, Hungary, and the Czech Republic, and the support of the prosecutors in Hungary, the Czech Republic, and the Republic of Moldova.

iulian@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/Alexandru Busca)