The authorities in Botoșani are canceling the identity cards for over 8,000 citizens with fictitious residence from Ukraine, Moldova, and Russia, following an investigation.

Over 8,000 citizens from Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, and the Russian Federation, who had fictitiously established residence in Botoșani County, are losing the validity of their identity cards. This decision was confirmed by the head of the Public Community Service for Personal Records, Ady Petrușcă, and is the result of an investigation initiated by the General Prosecutor's Office. In the period 2024-2025, 5,839 identity documents have been canceled, and another 2,179 people will be affected in January 2026.

The commune of Vârfu Câmpului, where approximately 10,000 citizens have fictitiously settled, has begun to notice a decrease in the official population. Romanian authorities are conducting a large investigation into the fraudulent acquisition of identity documents, with 73 recent searches in Botoșani, targeting a network that provided non-compliant documents.

Border police are checking 104 addresses to establish the veracity of the information. Investigators suspect the use of false rental contracts and false citizenship certificates to obtain identity cards. Investigations are ongoing, with 90 previous searches and 94 suspects facing criminal charges for various offenses.