Six Arrested for Migrant Trafficking through Bulgaria and Serbia to Western Europe

The General Directorate for Combating Organised Crime (GDBOP) and the National Police disrupted a network trafficking migrants through Bulgaria and Serbia towards Western Europe. Six people were arrested during an operation carried out on 22 October in Sofia, Plovdiv, Pazardzhik and Montana.

According to the Ministry of Interior, those detained are members of a trafficking organisation, one of whom held a high-ranking position in the international network. Three of the suspects have been formally charged and placed in custody.

During the investigation, police searched three properties and one vehicle. They seized mobile phones, €5,120 in cash, car rental contracts, vehicle registration documents, payment orders, and other items related to criminal activity. Eleven witnesses have been questioned so far. The investigation is being overseen by a prosecutor from the Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office, and work on the case continues.

Border police from the Directorate “Combating Illegal Migration” began uncovering the criminal scheme in early 2025, the Ministry added. “For two consecutive years, we have seen a 70% reduction in migrant pressure,” said Chief Commissioner Anton Zlatanov, Director of the General Directorate Border Police, at the international conference “Bulgaria in Schengen.”

Photos by Ministry of Interior