Large-scale €900,000 scheme dismantled: Border police arrest ten

Large-scale operation against car rental fraud scheme

Ten people have been detained during a specialized operation by the General Directorate of Border Police (GDBP) against a criminal group involved in car rental fraud. The damages from the illegal activity are estimated at nearly 900,000 euros.

The investigation reveals an organized network for renting cars in Germany through straw men ("mules"), which were then illegally transported to Bulgaria.

How did the scheme work?

The organizer of the group recruited people who, in exchange for payment, used their personal documents to rent high-end vehicles in Germany. Subsequently, the vehicles were transported to our country, where they were reported as wanted.

Results of the operation:

• 14 addresses across the country were searched.
• Four of the detainees, including the organizer, have been charged.
• Seven passenger cars were identified and seized, all with their first registration in 2025.
• A motorcycle, reported for international search, was also confiscated.

Investigators have evidence of a total of 15 motor vehicles that passed through the scheme. Numerous documents and payment instruments proving the criminal activity have been seized.

We recall that in December of last year, the GDBOP also reported an increased number of reports of fraud related to the purchase and rental of cars from Germany.