Fourteen Migrants Detained in a Truck at Danube Bridge 2; Driver Was Carrying a Fake Bulgarian ID Card

Border police officers discovered 14 foreign nationals concealed in a freight lorry at the Vidin–Calafat border checkpoint. The driver of the vehicle, a Turkish citizen who had previously been sanctioned for a similar offence, has also been detained.

The inspection was carried out on 9 June by a joint Bulgarian–Romanian team in the area of the border crossing. The lorry, which according to documents was transporting mineral water from Turkey, was selected for control upon exiting the country.

During the check, border police established that the driver was presenting a fake Bulgarian identity card, while a Turkish identity document was also found in his possession.

A gas analyser measurement recorded high levels of carbon dioxide in the cargo compartment — an indicator of the presence of hidden people. A subsequent inspection of the trailer revealed 14 male migrants.

It was established that 13 of them are citizens of Iraq and one is a citizen of Iran. All of them had previously been detained during earlier attempts to cross the border illegally and are currently in asylum procedures seeking international protection.

The driver of the lorry is a 45-year-old citizen of Turkey, who was also apprehended in 2024 in connection with an attempt to transport migrants. For that offence, he was banned from entering the territory of the European Union.

Photos: Customs Agency

The migrants and the driver have been detained at the Vidin Border Police Department. Criminal proceedings are expected to be initiated due to the repeated nature of the offences.