site.btaSix Arrested in Plovdiv and Sofia for International Drug Trafficking

Six members of an organized crime group involved in international drug trafficking have been arrested in Plovdiv and Sofia, Plovdiv District Prosecutor Vanya Hristeva said at a press conference on Thursday. The press conference was also attended by Supervising Prosecutor Slavena Kostova, Deputy Director of the General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime (GDCOC) Emil Borisov, and Tsvetin Todorov, representative of the State Agency for National Security (SANS).

Hristeva pointed out that about 90 kilogrammes of marijuana were seized during more than 25 searches in the regions of Plovdiv, Sofia and Burgas. She noted that the investigation was launched in the middle of 2024 by SANS, with GDCOC employees involved in the last months as well.

On August 9, coordinated actions were taken and the leader of the organized crime group was detained, along with four other members. Charges were brought against them, with one member released on BGN 3,000 bail and the rest remanded in custody. On August 13, further searches and seizures were carried out in Sofia and another member of the group was detained, as he was in possession of a suitcase with about 10 kg of marijuana. 

Kostova commented on the investigations, which established that the leader was procuring cocaine and marijuana from European Union member states, mainly Spain and the Netherlands. Other members of the group, acting under his orders, transported the substances from these countries to Bulgaria, where they were stored and redirected to Turkiye. International drivers were recruited to transport the drugs in secret containers in trucks, she added.

The crime group was comprised of men between the ages of 26 and 62, Borisov said, adding that these people were known to the special services, some of them even for years. He noted that the data indicates that they were involved in international heroin trafficking.