site.btaMajor Operation against Organized Crime at Bulgaria's Border with Participation of International Law-Enforcement Agencies

A large-scale international operation targeting organized crime is underway at several border checkpoints and crossings across Bulgaria, involving representatives from the US, the UK, Frontex, Europol, and several European countries including France, Germany, Greece, Austria, and Italy, Chief Commissioner Anton Zlatanov, the Border Police Director, announced at a press briefing at the Kapitan Andreevo border checkpoint.

The operation aims to track and neutralize illegal trafficking of people, narcotics, and excise goods through the country. According to Chief Commissioner Zlatanov, the operation is ongoing.

“This is the largest operation of its kind in terms of scale and international participation ever conducted in Bulgaria,” Zlatanov said. He emphasized that coordinating so many agencies from different countries to work together, exchange information, and combat cross-border crime "requires a high level of trust and is a positive sign for Bulgaria".

The expected outcome of the operation is a reduction in smuggling attempts and increased revenue for the state budget.

Kapitan Andreevo is the largest border checkpoint in the Balkans and Europe, but the operation is also being carried out at other checkpoints in the country, as well as at border crossings with Greece and Romania. Both uniformed and plainclothes officers are involved, Zlatanov explained.

All teams include Bulgarian officers, and a central command post has been established at Kapitan Andreevo. On the green border with Turkiye, joint teams are operating as part of two parallel operations—one with Frontex and another called Solidarity, which involves representatives from Romania, Austria, Hungary, and Greece.

Zlatanov noted that for the second consecutive year, there has been a 70% decrease in attempts to illegally cross the Bulgarian border. He added that traffickers are trying to change their methods as the border is now largely sealed, with migrants being apprehended not only in the border zone but also inside the country.

“We must be extremely vigilant in guarding the border crossings and zones with Greece and Romania, especially the Bulgarian-Greek border. We cannot allow it to become a second gateway for illegal migration, as it is less protected,” Zlatanov said. He added that stricter compensatory measures have been implemented, with the full capacity of the Border Police deployed, patrols in the border zone, and checks on every road leading to Greece. This led to an operation at the Kulata border crossing yesterday, during which seven migrants were detained.

The Deputy Director of the General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime, Yordan Peshev, highlighted the value of the directorate’s experience in international investigations for such operations against both organized and unorganized cross-border crime.

Since the beginning of the year, more than 60 operations have been conducted, resulting in the neutralization of over 20 criminal groups, Peshev added.

UK and French officials attended the presentation of the operation.