The „brain” behind the torture and murder of a businessman from Sibiu has been returned to Romania

Following international cooperation, Zuleam, who was wanted as a „Most Wanted” person and was the subject of a preventive arrest warrant, was handed over at Henri Coandă Airport. Authorities announced that a 33-year-old man from Horezu Poenari, Dolj County, was brought back to the country. On November 19, 2023, the Sibiu Court issued a preventive arrest warrant for Zuleam for the crimes of aggravated murder and two counts of aggravated robbery.

Zuleam is considered the mastermind behind the torture and murder of Adrian Kreiner, a businessman from Sibiu. Thanks to international police collaboration between the Romanian authorities and their Indonesian counterparts, as well as support from various internal and external partners, Zuleam was located and arrested in Indonesia on January 15, 2026. He is now set to be transferred to a Romanian police detention facility.

The Romanian police repatriated approximately 900 individuals who were wanted internationally

Last year, the Romanian police repatriated approximately 900 individuals who were wanted internationally.

Criminalul omului de afaceri din Sibiu a fost adus în țară din Indonezia

Third suspect in the murder of the millionaire from Sibiu found in Indonesia

The accomplices in the murder of businessman Adrian Kreiner—Cosmin Zuleam, Laurențiu Ghiță, and Cristian Minae—were sentenced to lengthy prison terms by the Alba Court in November 2025. Zuleam received a total sentence of 30 years, which includes 3 years for aggravated theft, 4 years for complicity in aggravated theft, 8 years for aggravated robbery, 9 years for aggravated robbery, and 22 years for aggravated murder.

Ghiță and Minae were sentenced to life imprisonment. Minae was present in the courtroom and received a sentence of 4 years for aggravated theft, 7 years for aggravated theft, 12 years for aggravated robbery, and 10 years for complicity in aggravated robbery, culminating in life imprisonment for aggravated murder. Ghiță, also present in court, was sentenced to 3 years for aiding and abetting aggravated theft, 7 years for aggravated theft, 12 years for aggravated robbery, and life imprisonment for aggravated murder.

The three men are also required to pay significant moral damages: Adriana Emilia, Kreiner’s partner, will receive €150,000, and Vanesa Kreiner, the businessman’s daughter, will receive €300,000, both awarded jointly and severally. The 16 stolen watches, valued at nearly €200,000, have been returned to the victims.

The sentences are not final

The sentences are not final. The case was initially registered with the Sibiu Tribunal, but all the judges became incompatible due to having judged other related cases with the defendants. Consequently, the case was transferred to the Alba Tribunal following a decision by the Alba Iulia Court of Appeal.

After killing Adrian Kreiner, the three suspects fled the country with the stolen watches worth over €200,000. Ghiță and Minae were caught, with Ghiță apprehended in Scotland and Minae in Ireland. Since then, they have been held in preventive detention at the Aiud Maximum Security Penitentiary.

The details of Kreiner’s murder are horrifying. After entering the victim’s yard, two of the suspects unscrewed the perimeter lighting bulbs, opened a tilted garage window, and entered at around 2:38 a.m. From the garage, they made their way into the house, where Kreiner was likely asleep on the living room sofa on the ground floor.

Adrian Kreiner was bound by his hands and feet in a position that intensified the pressure on the ropes as he moved. He was left on the floor in a manner known as „Arbatachar-type” tying, which quickly leads to traumatic shock by interrupting blood flow and can result in paralysis. This method is also a form of torture designed to inflict extreme pain, often used to force victims to reveal the location of hidden money or valuables. After committing the crime, the suspects covered Kreiner’s body and head with the blanket from the sofa where he had fallen asleep.