Send to Kindle
Photo by BGNES
Draft amendments to Bulgaria's Criminal Code have been put forward that will see the introduction of tough measures against people smugglers and their accomplices.
Changes that were tabled on Wednesday morning stipulate a sentence of up to 12 for smuggling activities (compared to 1-3 years presently) and a hefty fine of up to BGN 30 000 (EUR 15 000), three times up the current amount.
Some lawmakers are also proposing that special sanctions be introduced with regard to officials who aid smuggling activities.
Of the hundreds of thousands of migrants from the Middle East who have arrived to Southeast Europe over the past months, most are though to have paid up to thousands of USD to smugglers in order to reach European territory.
European police agency Europol's head on Wednesday warned that as many as 30 000 people could be engaged in trafficking gangs.
"The tragic incident in Austria is symptomatic of an explosion in the criminal problem we are seeing right now... Thousands of criminals (are) flocking to this spot, this mass movement of migrants and refugees," Reuters quotes Rob Wainwright as saying.
He added Europol had collected information on up to 30 000 people suspected of smuggling activity in 2015 alone.
Wainwright is referring to an accident in Austria where the lifeless bodies of 71 migrants were found in a truck near the border with Hungary. Bulgarian links were supposedly established in the incident, with several people being arrested.
We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!
Customs officer Georgi Gospodinov keeps a vigilant eye out for unusual cargo at Bulgaria's Kapitan Andreevo border crossing, a critical checkpoint in the fight against migrant trafficking to Britain
A recently unveiled Europol report has shown the pervasive influence of criminal networks in the European Union, particularly implicating Bulgarians, Romanians, Serbs, and Ukrainians in the most perilous operations related to human trafficking for labor a
Earlier today, the director of Bulgaria's Customs Agency, Petya Bankova, has found herself at the center of an anti-corruption operation
A significant operation led by the State Agency for National Security (DANS) and the Anti-Corruption Commission is currently underway across Sofia and the country
In a devastating incident in southern Albania, eight people lost their lives, including seven suspected migrants, in a car crash early this morning while attempting to evade police pursuit
In a decisive move, the Bulgarian Parliament has approved a measure to bolster security at all centers for migrants and refugees under the jurisdiction of the State Agency for Refugees.
I feel no moral guilt towards anyone. This was stated by Kiril Petkov, answering a question whether he would apologize to the Bulgarian people for violating the Constitution.
Head of the Military Medical Academy (MMA) Major General Prof.
The Ministry of Finance has revised its autumn forecast for economic development.
Bulgarian police arrested a Russian citizen and two Lithuanians on suspicion of exporting “sensitive information” from the Arsenal military plant in Kazanlak.
The government has changed its order requiring state-owned companies to pay a dividend to the budget.
UN Happiness Report: Bulgaria's Astonishing Leap in Rankings
Bulgaria: 3 Regions With Lowest Life Expectancy - EU Report 2022
