23 Customs Officers Detained at Kulata Checkpoint in an Anticorruption Operation

23 customs officers were detained during a joint anticorruption operation conducted by the Directorate for Combatting Organised Crime and the State Agency for National Security at Kulata border crossing (border with Greece), the spokesperson of Bulgaria’s Chief Prosecutor, Roumyana Arnaudova told BNT on 14^th of June. She added that 63,000 BGN were seized during searches. The charges will be for organized crime group that had been operational since March 2015.

Kulata border crossing was temporarily closed for traffic causing long queues of vehicles.

All customs officers on the shift were detained on suspicions for involvement in a corruption scheme.

They have been accused of participating in an organized criminal group for the purpose of receiving bribes. Investigators have identified several different schemes of corrupt behaviour. 6 transport companies were on the so called "subscription". Their lorries crossed the border without being checked, emaning that at the end of the month, depending on the number of vehicles that passed and paying between BGN 50 and 100 per vehicle, the amount between the customs officials and the respective transport company was equalized.