An organised criminal group for international drug trafficking through the country was neutralised in a specialised police operation of the Directorate-General for Combating Organised Crime (GDBOP), carried out with the assistance of the Customs Agency. The action was carried out on June 2-3, 2026, at the Ruse – Danube Bridge border checkpoint.
Six people were arrested between 35 and 63, one of whom was a Honduran national residing in the Kingdom of Spain. The investigation found that they were linked to the smuggling of 400 kilograms of marijuana with a high concentration of the narcotic component, tetrahydrocannabinol. It was valued at EUR 4 089 833.99 (BGN 8 000 000).
The amount of narcotic substance was found by customs officers in a secret compartment of a cargo composition stopped for customs inspection at an entry into the country from Romania. During the investigation, 80 boxes with 5 vacuum-packed bags of dry grass were seized.
Three of the defendants are professional drivers and knew each other in connection with their work, it became clear from the information. At the end of 2025, they agreed to redesign a cargo trailer and build a secret compartment. Their original intention was to transport illegal migrants to be provided by one of the men. Meanwhile, they received an offer from a fourth of the detainees to transport high-quality marijuana from the Kingdom of Spain to the city of Sliven. However, following the investigation launched by the GDBOP, immediate action was taken to put an end to the criminal activity.
