The perpertrators of the ‘robbery of the century’ in Romania have recently been sentenced to 11 years in prison each, by the Bucharest Court, according to Mediafax newswire.

Some eight years ago, Petru Nica, Gabriel Constantin Velescu and Aurelian Romulus Paven were accused of stealing money from the ABN Amro subsidiaries in Galati, Constanta and Ploiesti. Petru Nica, CPI Security employer, was the driver of the special armored truck used to transport the money - RON 8.8 million (or some EUR 2 million), USD 33,396, and EUR 525. His accomplices, Gabriel Constantin Velescu and Aurelian Romulus Paven helped to steal the money, of which, some RON 850,000 (EUR 197,000) has never been found.

The court also ruled that the three defendants must pay civil damages of RON 892,000 (EUR 207,000) and USD 28,000 to the security guard company CPI Security.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Sxc.hu)