Five charged with involvement in a migrant trafficking group

The Bulgarian Prosecutor’s office pressed charges against 5 people for participating in a migrant trafficking group from Turkey through Bulgaria to Serbia and Western Europe, the Prosecutor’s office said on October 23.

They were detained on 17 October 2019 in Plovdiv and Sofia in а joint investigation by the Special Prosecutor's Office, the Directorate for Combatting Organized Crime and Sofia police directorate, with the assistance of the Gendarmerie.

During the searches in five properties in Sofia and one in Plovdiv, as well as in cars used for the criminal activity, a large number of mobile phones and SIM cards were found and seized. They were used by the members of the group to coordinate their actions in transferring foreign citizens through the border, facilitating their stay and their removal from the country. Marijuana was found and seized at one of the addresses.

By order of the Specialized Criminal Court from 19 October 2019, two of the group members were imposed the most serious measure "Detention in custody", two were given "House arrest" and one was given "report in person to the police station".

For the leader of the group, a Bulgarian national, the court ordered "House arrest" to allow him to care for his two young children.

The court decision on the measures is not final and can be appealed.