Spain is likely to start mass expulsions of Bulgarians, a spokesman of the Foreign Ministry in Sofia warned Tuesday. The move would be inspired by the growing numbers of Bulgarians to commit crimes in this country.

"Spain, in particular, have seen an increase of Bulgarian offenders over the last year," Foreign Ministry's spokesman Lyubomir Todorov conceded. He announced figures that show a visible upwards trend in arrests of Bulgarian nationals. From 182 detained in Spain in 2001, the figure leaped to 584 a year later. Up till June 23, 2003, Spanish authorities have arrested 280 Bulgarian nationals.

Illegal residence is the most common ground of this year's arrests as 157 were detained over breach of immigration rules. 71 Bulgarians were nabbed under suspicion of thefts and robberies, nine got arrested over prostitution and seven over alleged drug pushing.

According to the spokesman, a large number of Bulgarians currently stay in Spain in breach of the country's travel requirements.

The most noise-stirring arrest was that of pimping suspect Vladimir Ilchev, the son of Bulgarian top lawmaker, who is being detained in Spain for over a month.