Man caught at Danube Bridge with BGN 55,000 Linked to Phone Scam

A man was detained while attempting to leave Bulgaria with 55,000 BGN, suspected to be connected to a phone scam, at the Danube Bridge border checkpoint near Ruse. The check, carried out by border police, was conducted using a risk analysis approach, the Ministry of Interior (MVR) reported.

Senior Commissioner Dimitar Chorbadzhiev, Director of the Regional Directorate “Border Police,” explained:

“Even before Bulgaria joined the Schengen Area, it was repeatedly emphasised that once border controls on the Bulgarian-Romanian border are lifted, MVR officers, particularly Border Police, would focus on so-called compensatory measures to offset the absence of border checks. The main priority is countering the threat of illegal migration. In this case, officers selected the vehicle used by the Bulgarian citizen and his companion because it matched the profile of a vehicle typically used to transport illegal migrants.”

During the inspection, no illegal migrants were found in the vehicle.

“This is where the difference shows between an officer who simply does their job and one for whom the work is a vocation. The officers could have concluded the inspection once they established there were no illegal migrants. However, they acted proactively and detected behavioural signs in the citizen that indicated another type of illegal activity might be taking place,” added Senior Commissioner Chorbadzhiev.

Once it was established that the man was transporting 55,000 BGN, he admitted that the cash had been handed to him in Pazardzhik. The victim of the phone scam was identified.

The 41-year-old man from Dupnitsa has been detained. A pre-trial investigation has been opened by the Pazardzhik District Prosecutor’s Office, and work on the case is ongoing.