Bulgaria Counter-Terrorism Officer Detained at Border with Turkey

Crime | April 24, 2015, Friday // 10:28
Bulgaria: Bulgaria Counter-Terrorism Officer Detained at Border with Turkey Photo by BGNES

A member of Bulgaria's Special Unit for Combating Terrorism (SOBT) has been arrested at the Kapitan Andreevo border crossing which leads into Turkey.

The 72-hour detention is expected to be followed by a prosecutors' demand that he remain in custody, private national NOVA TV station reports.

Allegedly, the detainee helped two Turkish citizens smuggle cigarettes worth BGN 24 M into Bulgaria by giving them advice.

This follows the detention (end-March) and indictment (April 12) of a number of customs and police officers and employees of a freight forwarding company over a cigarette smuggling scheme worth BGN 39.8 M.  

After that incident, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov had fervently threatened to merge the national revenues and customs agencies to boost efficiency and tackle corruption, but abandoned the idea this week, citing improved duties collection at border crossings.

The SOBT operates under of the Ministry of Interior.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!

Crime » Be a reporter: Write and send your article
Tags: Special Unit for Combating Terrorism, SOBT, Bulgaria, Kapitan Andreevo, turkey

Advertisement
Advertisement
Bulgaria news Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) is unique with being a real time news provider in English that informs its readers about the latest Bulgarian news. The editorial staff also publishes a daily online newspaper "Sofia Morning News." Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) and Sofia Morning News publish the latest economic, political and cultural news that take place in Bulgaria. Foreign media analysis on Bulgaria and World News in Brief are also part of the web site and the online newspaper. News Bulgaria