Bulgarian police have dismantled a crime group involved in racketeering.

Ten members of the crime ring have been indicted by the specialized branch of the prosecuting authority.

The crime ring members were arrested in a special operation of the Chief Directorate National Police of the Interior Ministry managed by the specialized branch of the prosecuting authority.

Charges were pressed against Dimitar Vladimirov, Kaloyan Ivanov, Evgeni Evgeniev, Zlatomir Ivanov, Nikolay Nenov, Boris Todorov, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, Genadi Velichkov, Veselin Mihaylov and Ventsislav Velichkov, according to a media statement of the prosecuting authority.

According to the evidence gathered so far, the activity of the crime ring started in 2012 and it was concentrated in the northwestern Bulgarian district of Montana.

The crime group forced agricultural workers to sell property and sign contracts for security guard services through threats and abductions and by destroying costly property, including setting cars on fire or breaking them.

Under a ruling of a prosecutor from the specialized branch of the prosecuting authority, the ten members of the crime ring were arrested for 72 hours.

Some of the members of the crime group are to be ordered remanded in custody by the Specialized Criminal Court.