Bulgaria launches countrywide operations against vote-buying, trafficking of migrants
Bulgaria’s police, State Agency for National Security and prosecutors launched national all-day operations against vote-buying and against people-trafficking and illegal migration on October 23, two days before the country holds municipal elections.
Prime Minister Boiko Borissov said in a live television interview that it was expected that more than 1000 people would be arrested.
Borissov said that the operation by the Interior Ministry and Prosecutor’s Office was against people-traffickers and buyers of votes and had started at 6am. He said that he had checked at 6.30am and the operation was underway.
All reports that had been received by the authorities about these crimes were to be followed up during the operation.
Borissov said that the operation against vote-buyers would ensure the integrity of the October 25 mayoral and municipal elections.
Initial media reports from around Bulgaria quoted local police chiefs as confirming that the operations involved matters related to the forthcoming election, while regional Interior Ministry offices, road and highway police were checking vehicles for migrants who were in the country illegally.
Announcements about the results were expected later in the day, Bulgarian National Radio said.
(Photo: Bart Groenhuizen/sxc.hu)
