Police bust trafficking channel for migrants through the so-called "Western Balkan Route"

An organized international group composed of Syrian, Jordanian, Bulgarian and Moldovan citizens has been neutralized, the Ministry of the Interior reported.

The specialized police operation against a trafficking channel for migrants through the so-called "Western Balkan Route" (Turkey through Bulgaria, Serbia and Romania towards Western Europe) took place on August 19 in the region of Plovdiv, the Ministry of the Interior reported. The Bulgarian services received support from representatives of EUROPOL, employees of the border police and the directorates for combating organized crime in Romania and Moldova.

According to current data, the Bulgarian participant in the scheme was responsible for providing cars and control during transportation. The group recruited drivers from Moldova through various internet platforms and arranged their journey through Romania to Bulgaria. After illegal migrants entered the territory of the country, they were "taken over" and transported by cars driven by Moldovan citizens. A total of 8 persons were detained during the operation.