18 illegal migrants detained after police chase on Sub-Balkan road

A cargo van with migrants was stopped by the police near the village of Vasil Levski, Karlovo region, South Central Bulgaria, on July 10. In the area of a petrol station on the Sub-Balkan road, the cargo van was signalled to stop by a police patrol. The driver of the van initially reduced speed, then increased it, trying to avoid the check.

A pursuit began, during which the van hit one of the two pursuing police vehicles. The van was stopped after about 2 kilometres in the area of the village of Vasil Levski.

It was identified that two Bulgarian citizens were travelling in the van and 18 Syrian citizens who had illegally entered the territory of the country. The migrants were in the back of the vehicle.

Eleven of the foreigners were under the age of 18. The two Bulgarian citizens have been detained. One of them was found to have been convicted 25 times and served his last sentence in 2023.

A second case involving migrants was reported by the mayor of the village of Katunitsa, Krasimir Yurukov. After a police chase, two cars with Romanian registration managed to get away.

The cars were later found abandoned near the cemetery of Katunitsa village. Neither the drivers, nor the migrants were found.

There were no injuries in the incident.

Police are searching for the drivers and the migrants.