site.btaSeven People, Including Police Officers, Charged with Participation in Organized Criminal Group

Seven people have been charged with participation in an organized criminal group involved in arson, bribery, and drug trafficking in Sofia and Lovech, Central Northern Bulgaria. Two of them are leaders of the group, one of whom is an Interior Ministry employee, District Prosecutor of Lovech Valentin Valkov announced at a briefing on Monday in Sofia. Senior Commissioner Emil Borisov, Deputy Director of the General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime, Commissioner Petar Petrov, Deputy Director of the Internal Security Directorate at the Interior Ministry, and Chief Commissioner Lyubomir Nikolov, head of the Sofia Directorate of the Interior took part in the press conference, held at the Palace of Justice in Sofia.

The investigation was launched five months ago by the District Prosecutor's Office in Lovech. The group had been operating for about a year and a half. The operation to arrest the suspects was carried out on December 12 in both cities. Large quantities of drugs were found – marijuana, synthetic drugs, cocaine, as well as tens of thousands of euros.

Prosecutor Valkov added that in the course of the investigation, charges may also be brought against other people. Another person is expected to surrender to the authorities, he said.

The defendants have been detained for up to 72 hours and the court in Lovech is expected to review their detention measures.

Three of the detainees are employees of the Fifth District Police Station in Sofia, one of them being the head of the police station, Lyubomir Nikolov, head of the Sofia Directorate of the Interior said. “I have sent a proposal to the Interior Minister to dismiss all employees who have been charged,” Nikolov added. Commissioner Iliya Kuzmanov will temporarily head the Fifth District Police Station.

The District Prosecutor of Lovech stated that the other three defendants are known to law enforcement agencies for drug-related offences. He added that precursors were found during the operation, as well as drug-related equipment.

At the beginning of 2025, the Interior Ministry’s Internal Security Directorate received a tip-off, and work on the case began. A police officer was among the sources of the information, Petar Petrov, Deputy Director of the Internal Security Directorate at the Interior Ministry, said.