site.btaFive Syrians Involved in Migrant Smuggling Ring Detained, Charged

Five Syrian nationals involved in a migrant smuggling ring have been detained for up to 72 hours and charged, the Interior Ministry said on Thursday. The operation was carried out by the General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime, under the supervision of the Sofia City Prosecution Office.

The smuggling ring was involved in trafficking illegal migrants from Asia and North Africa through Bulgaria to Western Europe. After being smuggled into Bulgaria, the migrants were transported from the Black Sea city of Burgas to Sofia where they were housed in properties rented by straw men or individuals with fake IDs, according to investigators. The fees charged for smuggling migrants across the country's land border ranged from EUR 3,500 and 5,000 per person.

Three Syrian nationals were initially detained during the raid on December 3 in Sofia, and two more members of the ring were later identified. The law enforcers seized smartphones, SIM cards, car documents, and records detailing the organization and payment of migrant groups. Both Bulgarian and foreign nationals were questioned as witnesses.