Border police in Botoşani (Romania) have discovered 20,000 Moldovan Ritm cigarette packs, worth a total of 220,000 lei. The merchandise was about to reach the black market out of area.

Cigarettes were illegally transported by boat on Prut river by four Romanian citizens.

Romania's border police officers noticed a minibus stationing and four people unable to justify their presence in the area, on the direction of the Păltiniş border town, Botoşani County.

Around 12:00, they noticed these people crossing the Prut River with number of cartons, which they loaded into the minibus.

The means of transport, a Mercedes Benz Sprinter, registered in Romania, was stopped by border policemen who discovered several cigarette packages inside it.

The four Romanian citizens are between the ages of 18 and 42, all of whom live in the county of Botosani. They were to carry cigarette packs from the Prut river bank to Păltiniş commune, Botoşani County.

The entire quantity of cigarettes and the minibus worth 22,500 lei were confiscated.

The four were juridical control for period of 60 days.