site.btaSix Arrested in Police Operation against Human Trafficking

Six people have been arrested for migrant trafficking through Bulgaria and Serbia to Western Europe, as part of a specialized police operation by the General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime (GDCOC) and the General Directorate Border Police (GDBP), the Ministry of Interior announced Saturday. The operation took place on October 22 in Sofia, Plovdiv, Pazardzhik, and Montana.

One of the arrested suspected traffickers is believed to be in a high-ranking position in the hierarchy of international trafficking. Three of the suspects have been formally charged and placed in pre-trial detention, the Ministry added.

During the investigation, three properties and one vehicle were searched. Mobile phones, EUR 5,120, car rental agreements, vehicle registration documents, payment orders, and other items related to criminal activity were seized. Eleven witnesses have been interviewed. The investigation and police actions are supervised by a prosecutor from the Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office. Work on the case is ongoing.

Border Police officers began working to uncover the criminal scheme at the beginning of 2025, the Interior Ministry noted. “For two consecutive years, we have achieved a 70% reduction in migrant pressure,” said Border Police Chief  Anton Zlatanov at the International Conference “Bulgaria in Schengen”, held here on Friday.