6 OF THE DETAINED CUSTOMS OFFICERS FROM LESOVO BORDER CHECKPOINT WERE REMANDED FOR 72 HOURS

Six of the detained customs officers were detained under prosecutor’s remand for 72 hours and 6 other were released on supervision with financial guarantee, the specialized prosecutor’s office said on 3rd of November.

The prosecutors team of the pre-court proceedings will decide which of the detained will be remanded in custody by the Specialized Penal Court.

A total of 34 customs offices, including two shift managers, were detained at Lesovo check point at the border with Turkey during a specialised joint operation between the Bulgarian chief directorate for organized crime and the state agency of National Security on 2nd of November. The customs officers allegedly had been acting as an organised crime group, demanding and receiving bribes. The investigation started as a result of reported signals by lorry drivers and went on for several months. By the use of special intelligence devices, 300 cases of bribe-taking were proved.

The police carried out searches of offices at the check point and homes of the customs officers in the cities of Bourgas and Yambol. Some of the currently detained customs officials were detained in a similar anti-corruption operation 2 years ago, but were restored to work.