site.btaInterior Minister Mitov Warns Against Political Interference in Smuggling Investigation

During the parliamentary debate on the no-confidence motion on Wednesday, Interior Minister Daniel Mitov said that ongoing investigations into the smuggling case in Plovdiv and the involvement of senior Interior Ministry officials have been brought to light following extensive political speculation. He warned that the sensationalized public discourse might be aimed at obstructing the current anti-corruption probe and efforts to uncover protection schemes covering illicit trade.

On April 2, tensions between Interior Minister Daniel Mitov and the opposition Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria coalition flared up over an alleged attempt by anti-mafia police chiefs to abort an ongoing operation against an illegal cigarette ring and tip off the offenders of the impending arrests. The rank-and-file officers defied the order and went ahead with the raid, risking their careers. That led to a haul of contraband cigarettes worth BGN 8 million, according to the BOEC civic movement which published a video and screenshots of a WhatsApp chat purportedly between the police officers and their superiors.

Addressing the case of wanted individual Petyo "The Euro" Petrov, Mitov said that the Interior Ministry has been pursuing investigative actions since August 2023. Individuals linked to Petrov, including family members, have been questioned. He added that official inquiries have been sent to neighbouring countries, including Greece, Serbia, Turkey, Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

A former head of the Sofia investigative service, Petrov is being tried for extortion and for using forged documents to steal hundreds of thousands in cash and gold bars from a businessman. His role as a major "fixer" in the judiciary transpired in investigations by the Anti-Corruption Fund, an investigative civic organization. He vanished in 2023 the day it transpired that the law-enforcers were after him, and has been missing ever since. In August 2023, he was put on the Interpol wanted list. In December of that year, the European Arrest Warrant was withdrawn.

In Parliament, Mitov emphasized the importance of approaching both the problems and the achievements of the Interior Ministry with seriousness. He stressed the need for modernization and significant improvements to the working conditions and technical equipment of law enforcement personnel to enable them to perform their duties effectively.