Border Police in Tsarevo Detain Migrants and Italian Citizens

Border police in Tsarevo detained five illegal migrants and three Italian citizens after a report was filed for emergency medical assistance. The incident raises serious questions about the new tactics used by human trafficking networks and is a reminder of the increasing number of cases in which European Union citizens are attempting to assist in illegal border crossings.

The case of the "fake" call for help

According to an official statement from the General Directorate of Border Police, the signal was received yesterday at around 9:20 a.m. via the emergency number 112. The call was made by an Italian citizen, who reported five migrants in need of medical assistance in the land of the village of Izgrev, Tsarevo municipality.

A border patrol was immediately dispatched to the scene, where they found three Italian citizens and five migrants. The subsequent inspection established that the migrants, who did not have identification documents, were in good physical condition and did not need emergency medical assistance. This discrepancy between the reported signal and the actual situation on the ground triggered immediate action by the authorities.

All persons were detained. The on-duty prosecutor from the District Prosecutor's Office – Burgas, Tsarevo territorial division, was notified. The Italian citizens were detained, and a pre-trial investigation was initiated under Article 281 of the Penal Code, which concerns human trafficking. At the same time, the illegal migrants were given a medical examination and swift proceedings were initiated for illegal crossing of the state border.

An increasing trend

This incident is not isolated. Since September 2023, border police at the Bulgarian-Turkish border have repeatedly identified cases in which European citizens, under the pretext of providing medical assistance, are actually assisting citizens of third countries in illegally crossing the border. These actions represent a well-organized scheme in which the humanitarian pretext is used to conceal criminal activity.

All these cases have been meticulously documented, with reports submitted to the prosecutor's office. Such practices highlight the adaptability of criminal networks, which are constantly looking for new ways to circumvent border control and laws.

Another case with an alleged trafficker

In another case, which occurred on September 1 at around 7:20 p.m., a border patrol near the border identified a foreigner without identification documents. He introduced himself as a Moroccan citizen and complained of severe pain in his right leg, which necessitated calling a medical team. The migrant was transported to a hospital, where a fracture of the right tibia was found.

After the injury was established, a detention order was issued for the person, and security was provided at the medical facility. Although this case differs from the previous one with the "fake" signal, it also raises questions about the conditions and circumstances under which illegal border crossings are carried out and how trafficking networks exploit the vulnerability of migrants to achieve their goals.