Prosecutor's Office and Ministry of Interior set up joint unit to fight drugs, human trafficking and illegal migration

Acting Prosecutor General of the Republic of Bulgaria Borislav Sarafov and Minister of Interior Kalin Stoyanov on August 11 signed an order for the establishment of a specialised inter-agency unit.

Its purpose is to assist in the investigation of pre-trial proceedings, the opening of files, the collection and analysis of information on organised criminal groups and persons involved in the production, possession and distribution of narcotic drugs, human trafficking and illegal migration, the Prosecutor's office said.

The specialised unit includes prosecutors from the Supreme Cassation Prosecutor's Office, senior officials from the General Directorate of National Police and the General Directorate for Combating Organised Crime. They will monitor operational cases, files and pre-trial proceedings with a view to their timely finalisation.

In order to prevent the spread of drugs, with the assistance of the Ministry of Education and Science, awareness-raising discussions, meetings and trainings will be organised with students, teachers, parents and representatives of security companies responsible for security in educational establishments on the harmful effects of drug use and trends in their distribution. Participants in the discussions will also be made aware of the criminal liability and penalties provided for under current legislation.

The inter-agency unit will submit a monthly report to the Prosecutor General and the Minister of the Interior on the work carried out, with the aim of assessing the available data, monitoring and improving the effectiveness of the work of the Prosecutor’s office and the Ministry of the Interior.

The results of the work of the unit on countering organised crime groups and persons involved in drug distribution, human trafficking and illegal migration will be presented to the public on a regular basis.

The Deputy Prosecutor General with the Supreme Cassation Prosecutor's Office and the Secretary General of the Ministry of the Interior are in charge of the management and coordination of the joint unit.