Iinternational Drug Trafficking Ring Disrupted in Plovdiv

An organised criminal group involved in the possession, concealment, and international trafficking of narcotics has been disrupted during a joint operation by the State Agency for National Security (SANS) and the General Directorate for Combating Organised Crime (GDCOC) in Bulgaria's second largest city of Plovdiv on August 14. Several individuals have been arrested, and charges have been brought against them.

“The pre-trial investigation was initiated based on information indicating that an organised criminal group was operating in the city of Plovdiv and across the country, engaged in the possession, concealment, and international trafficking of narcotic substances on a large scale. It has been established that the leader of the group procures narcotics, primarily cocaine and marijuana, from European Union member states, mainly Spain and the Netherlands. Members of the group were then tasked with transporting these substances to the Republic of Bulgaria. In Bulgaria, the narcotics were stored for a period before being redirected to Turkey. To facilitate this, international drivers were recruited to transport the drugs in freight trucks using specially constructed concealments. The individuals arrested are not drivers themselves but were responsible for recruiting them. At present, no drivers have been detained.

On 9 August, coordinated investigative actions were carried out, involving over 25 searches and seizures. These searches took place in the regions of Plovdiv, Sofia, and Burgas, resulting in the arrest of the group’s leader and four additional individuals. All five were charged; one was released on bail, while four were placed in pre-trial detention. Yesterday, in Sofia, another participant in the group was detained. A suitcase containing nine packages of narcotics—approximately 10 kilogrammes of marijuana—was found in his vehicle. He was also placed in pre-trial detention. The individuals are male, aged between 26 and 62,” stated Slavena Kostova, the supervising prosecutor on the case.

Work on the case is ongoing. There is no evidence that the narcotics were distributed within Bulgaria.

“We detained a total of 10 individuals under 24-hour detention orders, but charges were brought against six. They are known to the authorities, some for many years. The data indicates that some of them have been involved in the international trafficking of cocaine. At present, approximately 90 kilogrammes of marijuana have been seized. There is information that the group was engaged in cocaine trafficking, but no cocaine has been recovered,” commented Senior Commissioner Emil Borisov, Deputy Director of GDCOC.