The Specialized Prosecutor's Office prosecuted four people for participating in an organized criminal group for making and distributing counterfeit banknotes and Bulgarian personal identification documents in the country. Two others are charged for committed by them secondary crimes.
The accused were detained on January 28, 2021 during a specialized police operation of the Directorate General “Combating Organized Crime” (GDCOC) under the supervision of the Specialized Prosecutor's Office, took place in the districts of Burgas, Plovdiv, Pazardzhik, Sofia and Shumen, with the participation of Secret Service agents - USA, and with the assistance of Europol.
During a search of the home of one of the detainees in Plovdiv, 2,958 counterfeit 100-euro banknotes and 6,815 high-quality $ 50 banknotes, counterfeit Bulgarian ID cards and blank ID cards were found and seized. A Bulgarian passport with a photo and the names of a famous American actor was confiscated, which was presented to customers as a sample for high quality workmanship. The false personal documents were prepared in two open workshops in settlements in the Shumen and Plovdiv regions.
In 2018, an illegal printing house for counterfeit banknotes was opened in the same building in Sunny Beach. Four people were detained and taken to court. Some of them were among those detained on January 28 for participating in the same criminal activity.
In the course of the investigation, other persons may also be prosecuted.