Ten arrested for illegal trafficking of migrants

Ten people were arrested for illegal trafficking of migrants in a specialised operation against illegal migration today, July 7, 2023, BNT has learned. Nine of them were detained by "Border Police", the tenth - by the Sofia Directorate of the Interior.

These are individual cases of illegal trafficking. Separate pre-trial proceedings have been opened. The joint operation of the Ministry of Interior and the Prosecutor's Office is being carried out throughout the country on two aspects - against the members of the trafficking rings themselves and against the so-called “hawala dealers” who deal with the financial transactions of the trafickers.

The man detained by the Sofia Directorate of the Interior is a Romanian citizen. He has already been remanded in custody for 72 hours.

In relation to alleged financial crimes, 18 sites were checked during the raid, mostly in Sofia and Harmanli, by oficials from the Chief Directorate for Combatting Organised Crime, National Police, Sofia Directorate of the Interior, National Revenue Agency, Food Safety Agency, Regional Health Inspectorate.

Some of the establishments were sealed, others were issued administrative offence acts by various institutions.