Former Ambassador of the Republic of Moldova to Russia, Andrei Neguța, has been acquitted in the case where he was accused of smuggling anabolic steroids. The decision was made by the magistrates of the Căușeni Court, but both Neguța’s case and the court ruling are missing from the judicial portal. A copy of the decision was obtained by journalists from TV8, who also learned that the driver of the diplomatic car was acquitted. The Center for Investigative Journalism had previously published several reports on anabolic smuggling schemes. Seven anabolic production factories were identified, four of which were clandestine. Behind the legal anabolic producers stood a former Romanian senator, a well-known Moldovan businessman, and a former president of the Moldovan Bodybuilding Federation. Some of these smuggling schemes were detailed in the investigation The Anabolics Mafia: The Clandestine Journey of Moldovan Steroids to Foreign Athletes conducted by CIJM reporters in 2016.

Five years after the scandal broke out, the judges ruled that "the act does not meet the elements of a crime."

During the peak of the scandal, former President Igor Dodon denied that people close to him, including his brother Alexandru Dodon, were involved in the anabolic smuggling network.

"All of this is nonsense, accusations, and slander. This deputy has already been sued. Let me explain what happened during this operation:
The country's top leadership, including myself, was informed a few weeks ago that there were suspicions about the diplomatic transport being used for illegal activities. I immediately ordered all diplomatic transports to be checked, whether heading East or West.
The minivan was stopped not by foreign border guards, but by ours — SIS, Border Police, and Customs Service — and they could only stop it with the leadership’s approval. This operation was fully supervised and successfully carried out," said Igor Dodon.

"As for who was involved, obviously those responsible for transporting illegal goods were implicated. Whether the former ambassador was involved will be determined by the General Prosecutor's Office. I'm not a prosecutor. Don't associate this matter with people close to me or my relatives, because those are just absurdities," Igor Dodon added.

Former DA Platform deputy Chiril Moțpan claimed that individuals close to Igor Dodon, including his brother Alexandru Dodon, were involved in the anabolic smuggling case.

"The illicit trafficking scheme for anabolics was taken over from former Democratic Party deputy Constantin Țuțu.
Besides two employees of the Moldovan Embassy in Moscow, two employees from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration and close associates of Igor Dodon — including Alexandru Vâlcu (son of a former Customs Service head), businessman Vadim Ciubară, and Alexandru Dodon — were involved.
The diplomatic car driver crossed the border several times a month, carrying anabolics worth about $150,000 each time," said Moțpan.

"The anabolics were mainly intended for the Turkish and Ukrainian markets. In Russia, anabolic production is larger and prices are cheaper," Moțpan added.

Following the scandal, Andrei Neguța was recalled from his position as Ambassador to Russia by a decision of the Moldovan Government. Prosecutors stated that the smuggling scheme involved a diplomatic vehicle belonging to Moldova’s Embassy in Moscow.