Five police officers detained for corruption and blackmailing traders

Five police officers from the economic police unit of the Fourth Regional Police Station in Sofia were detained on 24^th of January in a joint operation by the police and the special prosecutor’s office. They have been investigated for allegedly taking money and blackmailing traders working in the Lozenets district of Sofia.

The scheme involved economic police officers demanding “fees” from traders in return for which the police would not carry out required checks for violations.

Ivan Geshev - Deputy Chief Prosecutor: "Pressing, extortion of small owners of different cafes and establishments in the area of Fourth Police Station for payment of a monthly fee. Some traders found the amount of such “fees” too high.”

Ivaylo Ivanov, Chief Secretary of the Ministry of Interior: "The sums that have been demanded were various, I understand that negotiations were held to clarify the amounts."

The investigated police officers were detained during work. One of them is in a management position.

The information about the organized crime group was received by the Ministry of Interior through various sources. The police, however, do not report for how long the group had been operating.