site.btaLarge-Scale Law-enforcing Operation Neutralizes International Criminal Group Smuggling Migrants

The Bulgarian Interior Ministry reported Tuesday that a large-scale law-enforcing operation Monday neutralized an international organized crime group which helped migrants to illegally enter Bulgaria. The group, consisting of Syrian, Jordanian, Bulgarian and Moldovan nationals, was caught during an operation for intercepting a migrant smuggling channel through the so-called Western Balkans route from Turkiye to Western Europe via Bulgaria, Serbia and Romania.

According to early investigation findings, the Bulgarian citizen was mainly responsible for securing cars, registering people with low social status, as well as controlling them during transportation. The group recruited drivers from Moldova via various internet platforms and arranged their travel through Romania to Bulgaria. 

A total of eight persons were arrested during the operation and charged have been pressed against seven of them, including the leaders of the criminal group. Fifteen addresses and five vehicles have been searched. The police have seized six bank cards, 1.5 g of cocaine, an illegal gun and ammunition, numerous documents for money transfers as well as for motor vehicles, car keys, 16 mobile electronic devices, four GPS tracking devices.

The operation was carried out by the Directorate General for Combatting Organized Crime, the State Agency for National Security, Border Police, the gendarmerie and the National Police, under the supervision of the Plovdiv District Prosecutor's Office. The Bulgarian law-enforcers were joined by representatives of EUROPOL seconded to Bulgaria and law-enforcers from Romania and Moldova.

Since the beginning of April 2024, a total of 17 arrests related to the Plovdiv-based group have been made and more than 130 illegal migrants have been identified. Over 20 drivers have been arrested during the operations, mainly Moldovan nationals, and several Syrian and Serbian nationals.