site.btaInterior Minister Notes Digitalization Lag at Ministry

There is a dramatic lag in the digitalization of systems in the Interior Ministry, Interior Minister Daniel Mitov said on Monday in Varna, where he attended the analysis of the 2024 work of the Varna Police Directorate. His overall assessment of the activities of the directorate was positive.

He emphasized that some modern levels of digitalization should be reached, including in the Traffic Police, not only to ease the work of employees, but also to improve services for citizens. This will eliminate many of the factors related to possible corruption pressure, Mitov stressed. He pointed out that due to digitalization, cybersecurity is becoming one of the leading priorities of the Ministry.

Mitov also put an emphasis on the fight against illegal migration and ensuring order and security in the resorts on the Black Sea coast during the summer. He noted that increased police presence is expected in the resorts this summer, and that bilateral agreements on joint patrols have already been signed with police officers from Romania, Germany, Poland, and Italy.

Mitov underscored that it is necessary to improve the working conditions of local police officers. Regarding Varna, he pointed out that not only the building of the regional directorate, but also those of the Traffic Police and of the regional departments need to be improved.

The comments about what is happening at the Regional Directorate for Combating Organized Crime in Plovdiv are insinuations and speculations, Mitov commented. Disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against the Directorate's former deputy director, but there will be no illegal arrests and he will be removed from office in accordance with the law, Mitov stressed, adding that for him personally, this employee no longer works at the Interior Ministry.

On April 2, tension flared up between Interior Minister Daniel Mitov and the opposition Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria coalition over a faulty crackdown against a cigarette smuggling ring in Plovdiv, Bulgaria’s second largest city. It started with the publishing on social media by the BOEC civic movement of a video and screenshots of a WhatsApp chat, purportedly between police officers and their superiors, revealing attempts by police chiefs to stop an ongoing anti-smuggling operation and tip-off the smugglers of the impending arrests. The rank-and-file officers defied the order and went ahead with the raid against the smugglers, risking their careers. That led to a haul of contraband cigarettes worth BGN 8 million, according to BOEC.