But security officials believe that much of the money Mr. Shor has used to finance his political activities in Moldova — including Ms. Gutsul’s election campaign — originated in Russia, claiming that they have identified around 20 million euros, or $21 million, in transfers from Russia to entities he controls between June 2022 and this past July.
Part of this, they say, was ferried in by “mules” on flights between Moscow and Moldova, often via Armenia. (Mr. Shor for a time controlled Air Moldova, the country’s now-insolvent national carrier.)
The flow of funds came to light, intelligence officials who requested anonymity said, when customs officers at the Chisinau airport noticed a sudden increase in the number of passengers arriving from Russia via third countries carrying bundles of cash with just under 10,000 euros, the limit beyond which money has to be declared and explained. They also uncovered hundreds of prepaid debit cards issued by a bank in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, and large transfers from Russia to Moldova through an informal network.
Mr. Tarnavsky said that he did not know the origin of the money used to support Ms. Gutsul’s election campaign, but added that Mr. Shor “is not a philanthropist,” so it was unlikely that he used his own cash to fund road or other projects that she had promised.
These include “Gagauzland,” a theme park celebrating Gagauz culture that is supposed to open next year near Comrat.
