Large-scale fraud uncovered at vehicle inspection station in Sofia

Employees of the "Economic Police" department at the Sofia Directorate of Internal Affairs uncovered a large-scale fraud at an annual technical inspection (ATI) station in the Stochna Gara area of Sofia. The operation, conducted jointly with representatives of the Executive Agency "Automobile Administration", revealed a complex scheme for manipulating the results of technical inspections.

During the raid, specialized equipment for technical manipulation was seized, along with numerous incriminating protocols. Particularly alarming is the discovery of personal data abuse - the ATI protocols for more than 100 vehicles contained the data of the same person, raising serious questions about the scale of the fraud and potential risks to road safety.

Law enforcement officers discovered a sophisticated system for manipulating the results of harmful emissions measurements. The presence of a pipeline connecting the gas analyzer to a probe and hose, which passes through a concealed hole in the wall to an adjacent room, was established. There, the hose was connected to a gas cylinder with an attached pressure regulator and two manometers.

Ministry of Interior experts explain that by adjusting the valve of the pressure regulator, the amount of gas supplied from the cylinder is controlled. This gas, mixed with the emissions from the vehicle being inspected, allows for manipulation of the concentration of measured gases. The goal was to meet the environmental standards for the respective vehicle category, regardless of their actual condition.

"The presence of an additional system connected to the main one directly affects the concentration of measured gases and thus manipulates the data", the Ministry of Interior clarifies.

As a result of this fraud, the information submitted to the "Automobile Administration" EA does not reflect the actual emission values of the inspected vehicles, and the prepared protocols contain false information.

At present, the 51-year-old owner of the station has been questioned as a witness, but the investigation continues to determine the full extent of the fraud and the possible involvement of other individuals.

This case highlights the importance of the recent initiative by the "Automobile Administration" EA to create a new vehicle check service by chassis number (VIN). This measure, introduced a month ago, is the first step towards the ambitious project of the Ministry of Electronic Governance to create a unified vehicle register in Bulgaria, known as the "electronic file". The service, available to citizens and institutions, provides key data on the history of vehicle technical inspections and is expected to increase transparency and make similar frauds more difficult in the future.

The uncovered scheme raises serious questions about the effectiveness of the current system for technical inspections and the need for stricter control and monitoring of ATI stations across the country. Experts call for urgent measures to improve procedures and strengthen sanctions against violators to ensure road safety and environmental protection.