Bulgarian authorities arrest 18 for smuggling migrants across its southern border
A criminal network smuggling mainly Syrian migrants from Türkiye to Western Europe has been taken down following a coordinated action led by the Bulgarian authorities and supported by Europol, the European police co-operation agency said in a statement on June 5.
Europol said that on June , law enforcement carried out raids in five major cities across Bulgaria under the supervision of the Bourgas Prosecutor’s Office.
Officers from Greece, Romania and Moldova joined Bulgarian investigators on the ground, with Europol also deployed to support the action. In total, 18 people were arrested, including a high-value target, Europol said.
The criminal network used a variety of vehicles to smuggle migrants across borders, including vans, trucks, tourist caravans and even car assistance platforms.
Many of these were fitted with custom-built hiding compartments that the members of the smuggling network patched together in Türkiye, Bulgaria and Romania. These modifications allowed the vehicles to travel directly to destination countries without stopping in shelters or transfer points along the way.
This action was part of a wider investigation under a Europol-coordinated Regional Operational Task Force based in Sofia, targeting organised crime groups smuggling migrants through Bulgaria and into Western Europe.
The criminal network – composed of Bulgarian, Romanian and Syrian nationals – smuggled mostly Syrian nationals from Türkiye through Greece and Bulgaria, using the Balkans as a key transit route.
Migrants typically paid 2000 to 2500 euro to cross from Syria into Türkiye. After several months in Türkiye, they were charged an additional 5000 to 6000 euro to be smuggled into the EU.
Smugglers recruited drivers directly in Bulgaria, while others – including Moldovans – were recruited online. In a separate case, Bulgarian intelligence led to the discovery of eight migrants hiding in floor compartments of a caravan in Türkiye.
The organised crime group used falsified documents to support their operations. These included fake driving licences issued in Romania, Greece and the United Kingdom, as well as fraudulent vehicle registration documents.
Since June 2024, 14 smuggling attempts linked to this criminal network have been detected – eight in Bulgaria, two in Greece, one in France and three in Türkiye. Five of the drivers were found with fake licences, and in 10 other cases, fraudulent vehicle documents were used.
The network relied on the underground Hawala system to move money between Türkiye and Bulgaria, with additional transfers made through Western Union by an intermediary.
Europol has supported the investigation since the outset, providing analytical and operational support through the Sofia-based taskforce. The agency also facilitated multiple coordination meetings and the exchange of operational intelligence between involved countries.
On the action day, Europol deployed an expert with specialised equipment to Bulgaria, enabling the real-time cross-checking of data and enhancing the flow of intelligence on the ground.
(Photo: publicdomainpictures.net)
