Three individuals have been charged with participating in an organised criminal group engaged in extortion, coercion, and threats of murder. They were detained following a raid by the General Directorate for Combating Organised Crime (GDBOP) in several settlements in the Yambol region (Southern Bulgaria).
All three detainees, including the ringleader of the group, have been remanded in custody by order of the Yambol District Court. The accused had been operating across Yambol, Elhovo, and Topolovgrad since 2023.
They ran payday loan offices and exerted violent pressure on individuals who failed to repay their debts on time. In some cases, debtors’ bank cards were confiscated. During searches conducted at six addresses and eight vehicles, anti-mafia officers discovered BGN 50,000 in cash, a gas pistol, a telescopic baton, and a wooden club.
“Debt collection was carried out using threats, coercion, and violence. We have documented incidents of vigilante-style reprisals. Several witnesses were interviewed, and in their statements, they confirmed that as debts increased, collection efforts by the accused involved unlawful actions. Even for small amounts, threats were used. They have no prior convictions, but there have been previous reports filed against them for similar conduct,” said Doychin Doychev, District Prosecutor of Yambol.
If found guilty, the three defendants face up to 15 years in prison.
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