Yavor Serafimov Appointed Deputy Chief Secretary of the Ministry of Interior

Chief Commissioner Yavor Serafimov has been appointed Deputy Chief Secretary of the Ministry of the Interior by order of Minister of Interior, Daniel Mitov, the ministry said on January 28.

The Ministry of Interior said that in his new post Mr Serafimov will continue to lead the Specialised Operational Group for the Analysis and Counteraction of Money Laundering.

One of the main priorities of both the ministry and the government is to secure Bulgaria’s removal from the so-called “grey list” of countries placed under increased monitoring by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Countries on this list are subject to enhanced scrutiny because of “insufficient capacity in combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism”. Bulgaria was added to the list in October 2023, the ministry recalled.

The Ministry of Interior also noted that the interagency structure headed by Senior Commissioner Serafimov was established on its proposal, and at the end of 2025 the Council of Ministers adopted a decree for its creation. The aim of the specialised group is to unite the resources and efforts of the competent law enforcement bodies of the Interior Ministry – including the General Directorate of National Police (GDNP) and the General Directorate for Combating Organised Crime (GDBOP) – together with the Customs Agency and the National Revenue Agency under the Ministry of Finance, as well as the State Agency for National Security (DANS), in countering money laundering.

Mr Serafimov has served in the Ministry of Interior since 1999, holding a range of operational and senior management positions within the system. These include Deputy Director and Director of GDBOP. From May 2025 until now, he has been Deputy Director of the General Directorate “National Police”. He has received multiple awards for high professional performance.