site.btaSenior Drug Enforcement Officials Arrested, Organized Crime Directorate Head, Interior Ministry's Deputy Chief Secretary Resign

Sofia, June 26 (BTA) - The head of the drugs enforcement 
department in the Chief Directorate for Combating Organized
Crime (CDCOC) and the head of a drugs enforcement unit, as well
as two  more officials from the service, were arrested on
Thursday evening after taking a bribe. The news was announced by
 Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev and Interior Minister Mladen
Marinov at a special briefing on Friday. Later in the day, CDCOC
 head Ivaylo Spiridonov and Interior Ministry's Deputy Chief
Secretary Georgi Arabadjiev tabled their resignations, and the
Interior Minister accepted them.

It transpired at Friday's news briefing that the operation
started on Thursday afternoon. The four senior officers were
detained as part of an investigation against an organized crime
group involved in bribe-taking and aiding criminal groups for
drugs trafficking and pushing in Bulgaria and abroad.

Geshev said that no perpetrator of wrongdoing and crime will be
untouchable.

The  Interior Minister said he has ordered an analysis of the
work of  the CDCOC and in the drugs enforcement unit, which is
to be  conducted as fast as possible. Marinov said that once the
  analysis is ready, the Prime Minister and himself will make
"the  correct and informed decision" on changes in the drugs 
enforcement unit and its staff "so as to clear the name of the 
CDCOC and all conscientious officials". 

The names of the arrested officers were not announced.
Dnevnik.bg quotes CDCOC sources as saying that among them is
Tsvetan Pankov, the head of the drugs enforcement department, 
and Kiril Vankov, head of a drugs enforcement unit in the 
department. RY, NK/ZH, DS