Three Nigerians arrested in Bulgaria for cocaine trafficking

Three Nigerians and seven Bulgarians have been arrested in Bulgaria for cocaine trafficking.
The seven are reported to be operating a drug ring.
The seven people were detained in an operation carried out by Sofia’s department for fighting organized crime and their counterparts in the towns of Silistra, Ruse, Smolyan, Veliko Tarnovo, Gabrovo, Pernik, Kyustendil and Sofia District Police Directorate.
The operation was conducted in eight Bulgarian towns under the guidance and supervision of the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office.
Charges have been pressed against: Prince Boro and Dandios Ch Duru – organizers and leaders of the group, and Abidin Yusein, Hristo Chichev, Boyan Zafirov, Boris Petrov and Marx Samuel Udo Basey – participants in the group.
According to the evidence collected so far, the syndicate has been operating since May 2012.
It organized cocaine trafficking via Bulgaria, hiring mules for transporting the drugs to various places across the world.
Investigators said the drugs were often wrapped around the body of the “mules” or impregnated into clothing carried in hand luggage.
For transporting the illegal cargo, mules were paid sums ranging from 800 Euros to 3,000 Euros.
Police said the journey of the carrier was fully organized by the group members.
“They purchased tickets of the ‘mules’, made hotel booking, and then provided specific guidance for their passage across the border,” investigators said.
Investigators also revealed that the mules were hired not only by the ringleaders Boro (aka Mike) and Duru (Dani), but also by the Bulgarian participants in the group.
The three arrested Nigerian citizens were believed to be staying in Bulgaria illegally.
Mobile telephones and SIM cards, notes and lists of names, portable computers, documents for trips abroad, bank documents and receipts for money transfers, copies of identity documents of Bulgarian citizens were seized in their homes, investigators stressed.
15 Bulgarian citizens familiar with the activities of the group were identified and questioned during the operation while the seven people are under 72-hour arrest.
Focus Information Agency.