Senior police officers arrested over alleged involvement in drug-trafficking

Two senior officials from the Chief Directorate for Combatting Organised Crime have been arrested. Another person, who is not a manager, was also detained. The head of the Anti-Drugs Trafficking Department is in custody after receiving a bribe, Chief Prosecutor Ivan Geshev said at an extraordinary briefing on June 26.

The operation for the arrests began after 5 pm last night and is related to recent findings of large quantities of drugs.

The Chief Prosecutor announced that the operation was carried out by the Specialised Prosecutor's Office and the Internal Security Directorate of the Ministry of Interior.

He announced that at the moment he could not disclose further details about the operation because an investigation is ongoing.

"However, when we have circumstances and facts that we can share, we will openly disclose them to the public," he said.

Geshev admitted that he had known the arrested senior police chief for a long time.

"I am shocked and extremely disappointed," he said.

“We must remove those who work for crime, not those who work against crime," said prosecutor №1.

I again thank all the police officers who work diligently against the criminals who poison our children with drugs, the chief prosecutor said.

"The Prosecutor's Office and the Ministry of Interior are, and continue to be, uncompromising in all cases. And we do not differentiate on the basis of who violates the law and from which institution. It is in the interest of Bulgarian citizens to clean the house ourselves," he noted.

Interior Minister Mladen Marinov, in turn, pointed out that he had ordered the professional management of the Chief Secretary Ivan Ivanov to make an analysis of the work of the directorate for combating organised crime mainly their anti- drug trafficking activities.

"We will discuss with the prime minister and decide on changes in the structure and staff in order to clear the name of the directorate and the employees who work there," he added.