Six lorries carrying waste detained at Bulgaria’s border with Turkey

Six Turkey-registered lorries carrying waste were detained last night, June 9, at Kapitan Andreevo border checkpoint (Bulgaria’s border with Turkey). The cargo of 137 tonnes of metals and plastics came from Turkey and was intended for a company from Plovdiv region. The drivers of the lorries could not present to the inspectors the required obligatory documents - a contract between two companies and an attachment, according to the European requirements.

The company that was supposed to receive the cargo is based in the village of Markovo, Plovdiv district, but it transpired that a young family lives at the address of registration and there has never been a warehouse or landfill on the address. The Regional Inspectorate found that there is no company with such registration.

The lorries were detained at the border until presentation of the obligatory documents for cross-border transportation of waste. If the documents are not presented, the cargo will be returned to Turkey. The only document that the lorry drivers presented was an invoice according to which the cargo was intended for a company in the village of Markovo, Plovdiv district.

Petar Stamatov from the regional environment inspectorate in Haskovo said that without documents it is not possible to determine what it is: is the material for recycling, for re-use, or part of it is for that.

The customs declaration states that the lorries carried scrap. Speaking for the BNT on June 10, the Minister of Environment Emil Dimitrov said that there is no data that these lorries had crossed the border with such a load before and this is the first attempt.

Emil Dimitrov, Minister of Environment and Water: This is a successful joint operation of the Border Police, the customs and the Ministry of Environment and Water. We have to coordinate what the sanctions should be.

According to the registers, the company has a total of seven managers and five partners as recipients of the cargo - all with Turkish names. According to one of them, Ali Osman Avcioglu, their company does not have a license for waste processing and a contract for the transportation of the cargo to Bulgaria.

Ali Osman, partner in Depa Import Excort Ltd .: I have not ordered such cargo, without taking a permission from me they have sent such goods, I have not paid a penny for this product.

According to him, the company has not been operating for 7 years. It was registered in Markovo 15 years ago at the address of his friend Vanyo Valkov. He was also questioned by police today.

Vanyo Valkov: I haven't seen him for maybe 5-6 years. I have no idea where he is. A friend I have known for many years. He does not have such financial means to deal with this thing. I don't know if he has a car.

A young family lives at the address of the registration.

Elena Danova: This is my private address, where I live. We bought the house last year in May. We do not know about such company.

Desislava Terzieva, Mayor of the village of Markovo: Many of the owners who live here owns businesses and have registered their companies at addresses here in Markovo, but there is no registered company with such activities.

The investigation into the case continues.