On 11.08.2016, the Prosecutors within DIICOT – Central Structure (The Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism) ordered the commencement of the criminal prosecution and the 24 hour-arrest of the defendants Szanto Aurelian-Mihai, Pantics Attila-Csaba and Pantics Levente, for the commission of the offences of setting-up of an organized criminal group, the violation of regulations on weapons and ammunition and submission of false information.

Following the TV program, broadcast by a TV channel in the United Kingdom and retransmitted by the central and local mass media, having as object the members of an organized criminal group specialized in arm and ammunition smuggling, DIICOT – Central Structure commenced one criminal prosecution focused on the commission, by several individuals, of the offences of setting-up of an organized criminal group, aggravated smuggling and violation of regulations on weapons and ammunition.

The TV program, broadcast by the British TV channel, was retransmitted by the mass media in Romania and other EU Member States. According to the review of the related news, as well as to the commentaries disseminated within the public environment, the described offenses generated, on the one hand, some reproachful feelings towards Romania, and, on the other hand, insecurity among the Romanian nationals, considering some possible threats against the national security.

In fact, according to the enquiries carried out, the so-called journalistic investigation did not rely on real actions and circumstances, but was created on reporter initiative, by producing some false data and information as real.

Thus, it could be established that, in the early days of July 2016, the defendant Szanto Aurelian-Mihai, Romanian citizen, living as a resident in the United Kingdom for several years, was called by a British journalist, who he had met before, who proposed him to work as a translator for the British TV channel.

The British journalists offered to defendant Szanto Aurelian-Mihai 2.000 euros in exchange for the “journalistic investigation”. He took 1000 Euro, while the remaining amount of 1.000 euros was to be divided between the defendants Pántics Attila-Csaba and Pantics Levente.

DIICOT stressed that the three British journalists will be summoned to be heard through international interrogatory commissions.