A British judge has raised concerns about a growing trend of young Bulgarians being drawn into drug dealing in Cornwall. Judge James Adkin of Truro Criminal Court highlighted the issue while sentencing 20-year-old Yordan Yanakiev to 22 months in prison for cocaine possession and distribution in Newquay, a well-known English surfing destination. According to Adkin, Yanakiev is the third Bulgarian recently imprisoned in the area for selling cocaine.

Yanakiev, originally a lifeguard on Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, had been in the United Kingdom only a few months before his arrest. Authorities discovered 18 packs of cocaine in his possession. His defense argued that he had come to the UK to surf but became entangled with the wrong crowd. Following the completion of his sentence, Yanakiev will be deported back to Bulgaria.

Two other young Bulgarians, sentenced by Judge Adkin in recent weeks, include 21-year-old Martin Mihaylov, who received 30 months in prison, and 25-year-old Ventsislav Chavdarov, sentenced to two years. Court documents reveal that Chavdarov intentionally recruited young, previously unconvicted Bulgarians, knowing that if they were caught, their sentences would likely be shorter. The judge warned that such networks are increasingly targeting vulnerable young people from Bulgaria to expand drug operations on the island.