Former heads of customs at Romania’s Port of Constanța detained for taking bribes

Former heads of customs at the Port of Constanța, Octavian Parfenie and Christian Gudu, were detained by prosecutors from the National Anticorruption Directorate on Friday, March 6, after a sting operation.

DNA officially confirmed in a press release that criminal prosecution has begun against Octavian Lică Parfenie, former head of the Constanța South Border Customs Office, and Christian Gudu, his deputy, the two being accused of taking bribes and, respectively, complicity in taking bribes.

The former allegedly demanded, through another person, from the administrator of a company operating at the Port of Constanța, sums of money ranging from EUR 100 to 350 for each imported container.

“These sums were requested in exchange for the promise that the customs formalities related to imports of goods transported in the respective containers would be carried out with priority and without difficulties,” according to the DNA statement. In total, Octavian Parfenie allegedly received EUR 15,100 as a bribe.

The two were detained last night, following a sting. An undercover investigator was even involved at the Port of Constanța, and police gathered wiretaps and recordings of the suspects allegedly negotiating sums. Parfenie and Gudu were recently removed from office, but the acts they are accused of were committed while they were leading the customs at the Port of Constanța.

One of the suspects questioned by DNA prosecutors told them that Parfenie demanded the alleged bribe in euros because, from that money, “fingerprints could not be lifted.” The two also requested more money than the undercover agent initially offered as a bribe.

Last December, Romania's Port of Constanţa rose to 10th place among European seaports by cargo volume in 2024, despite handling just over 50 million tonnes, a 14% decline from the 67 million tonnes processed in 2023.

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