Directorate for Combating Organised Crime disrupted criminal group involved in recruting paid blood donors

Officers of the Chief Directorate for Combating Organised Crime (GDBOP) on October 5 disrupted a crime group that recruited and attracted blood donors. The operation was conducted on the territory of Rousse (Northern Bulgaria) under the guidance of the Prosecutor's office. Three people were arrested.

They demanded from relatives of patients between 300 and 600 BGN for each blood bag. During a search of their homes, lists were found with the names of possible donors and their personal details.

The criminal group has been operating in the hospital area for years.

The actions of the GDBOP officials started after receiving information about a group that was coordinating the recruitment of blood donors for a fee. During the investigation, it was identified that the participants in the criminal scheme were daily staying on the territory of the hospital in Rousse and were offering the provision of the necessary amount of blood to relatives of patients.

If they agreed, the members of the crime ring would provide a selected donor with the appropriate blood group - usually with a difficult financial situation and low social status, who would receive a small amount of money for this.

After the "donation" was made, the Centre for Transfusion Haematology certified the hospital's official receipt for the amount of blood given to a certain recipient, which the donor returned to the dealer, who in turn handed it over to the patient's relatives for the sum of 300 to 600 BGN for each blood bag, depending on the blood group and rhesus factor.

Anti-mafia detectives found out that in order to carry out the criminal scheme, the organised group "worked" with lists prepared in advance by them with names, respective blood group, personal identity number, telephone number, date of the previous blood donation and the date for the next possible one - in 3 months.

Following the information gathered and a report to the District Prosecutor's Office, pre-trial proceedings were initiated for a crime. On October 4, procedural and investigative actions were taken with regard to three participants in the criminal scheme - searches under conditions of urgency and searches at three addresses.

During the searches, the GDBOP officers found lists with more than 15 names, blood groups , numerous business cards with their phone numbers, a card with a serial number from the Centre for Transfusion Haematology in Rousse, blood donation forms for specific patients, 4 mobile phones were seized and witnesses were interviewed.

"Thete is a shortage of blood donors. If there were regular blood donation campaigns to provide blood for those in need, there would be no such people," said Antoaneta Gabrovska, chief nurse at the cancer hospital in Rousse.

After detention for 24 hours, the three members of the organised criminal group were charged and a bail measure was imposed.

If found guilty, those accused of blood trafficking can be sentenced to up to 15 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to 100,000 BGN.