Bulgaria: Anti-organised crime cop arrested for spying for Russia

A staffer of Bulgaria’s Chief Directorate for Combating Organised Crime has been arrested for spying for Russia, Interior Minister Zhivko Kotsev confirmed on February 5.

Kotsev said that the suspect had been subject to surveillance for months.

The arrest followed investigations by the State Agency for National Security, the Chief Directorate for Combating Organised Crime, the Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office and the Interior Ministry’s Internal Security Directorate.

“Unfortunately, this is a matter of an employee of the Interior Ministry, who was being monitored and checked. I confirm that it concerns espionage actions in favour of another country, Russia. But at this stage I will refrain from further comments,” Kotsev said.

The Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that a prosecutor and an investigator carry out searches, seizures and interrogations in connection with a crime under chapter one of the Criminal Code – crimes against the republic.

The Prosecutor’s Office said that prosecutors had raided the office of the Chief Directorate for Combating Organised crime after the security services had alerted them that an Interior Ministry staffer had been sending information to people linked to Russia.

On February 5, some Bulgarian media published what they claimed was the name of the suspect, and there were reports that a State Agency for National Security employee also had been taken into custody, but there was no official confirmation of these reports.

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