Twenty-three Bulgarian and foreign nationals were detained in a special operation against illegal migration, carried out jointly by the General Directorate Border Police, GDCOC and the State Agency for National Security (SANS). The action against an organised crime group trafficking migrants took place in Sofia, Pernik, Stara Zagora and the Burgas region on 16 June 2026.
Pre-trial proceedings were opened under the supervision of the Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office for a crime under Article 321 in conjunction with Article 281 of the Criminal Code. Among those detained is the group’s leader — a 26-year-old Syrian with humanitarian status — and seven members (three Syrians and four Bulgarians). Eight were charged and held for up to 72 hours.
Some members arranged the transport of the migrants in vans and lorries, while others handled their stay in the country. Searches were carried out at 11 addresses in Sofia and Pernik, and 12 witnesses were questioned.
Officers seized a large quantity of gold items (including over 100 investment coins and bars), around 5,000 euros in cash, drugs, a gas pistol, mobile phones and numerous documents, including ledgers of payments through the “hawala” system.
The migrants — mainly of Moroccan origin — were housed in apartments and houses in and around Sofia for 7–10 days before being moved on to EU countries across the Bulgarian-Romanian border, paying the traffickers between 5,000 and 10,000 euros.
