Romania’s anti-organized crime prosecutors earlier this week held 26 people, 18 of whom were border policemen at the Stamora-Moravita border crossing between Romania and Serbia.

The men were charged with setting up an organized crime group, contraband, and bribery, as well as aiding migrant traffickers move people between Serbia and Romania. Moreover, the policemen apparently allowed several wanted criminals pass the border, according to DIICOT representatives quoted by news site Tion.ro.

However, their main activity was helping various cigarette smuggling groups, an activity for which the policemen would get paid usually EUR 1 for each carton of cigarettes.