Bulgaria arrests four cops for taking bribes to help migrant traffickers

Four police from the district police directorate in Bulgaria’s capital city Sofia have been arrested on suspicion of acting as an organised crime group, accepting large bribes to assist traffickers of migrants.

The four were arrested in a raid in Slivnitsa on July 18, according to Roumyana Arnaudova, spokesperson for the Bulgarian Prosecutor-General’s Office.

The head of internal security at the Interior Ministry, Roumen Ganev, said that the main part of the operation for which the four police accepted bribes to assist was transporting migrants from Sofia to Dragoman.

The investigation began on April 11 when a tip-off was received about an operation to smuggle migrants across Bulgaria’s border. The police suspected to be involved in corruption in assisting the operation were put under electronic surveillance.

Prosecutors allege that the police themselves took part in organising the transport of migrants...
 [sofiaglobe.com]
29/7/16
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