Human traffickers use drones to monitor the border

AFTER SECOND ARREST IN LOZENETS: HUMAN TRAFFICKERS USE DRONES TO MONITOR THE BORDER

Burgas, Bulgaria - In less than 24 hours, the area of the Black Sea resort of Lozenets became the scene of two large-scale Border Police operations, revealing the continuous and increasingly inventive pressure from human traffickers. The second case, which happened last night, once again confirmed the alarming trend of organized illegal trafficking, as a van with another 24 migrants was detained. Unlike the previous incident, where the driver escaped, this time the driver turned out to be a Bulgarian citizen, which highlights the involvement of local helpers in the trafficking networks.

The Director of the Border Police, Chief Commissioner Anton Zlatanov, revealed details to bTV, describing the situation as part of a "daily routine". According to him, police teams caught vans with migrants "every day and every night". He noted that public attention to the problem is often focused only when cases unfold in front of citizens' eyes and are captured on camera.

Details of the Operation and new trafficker tactics

Just hours earlier, on Saturday evening, a tense chase through the streets of Lozenets led to the capture of another van, which was full of 24 foreign citizens who identified themselves as Afghans. Many eyewitnesses watched the tense scene unfold in the otherwise peaceful resort village. In the same operation, at the Karaagach border checkpoint, Border Police officers stopped and detained the driver of a car, who is believed to have acted as a "pilot car", providing road safety and signaling police presence to the van.

The geography of trafficking and innovative methods

According to Chief Commissioner Zlatanov, the main migratory pressure along the Bulgarian-Turkish border is currently lowest in the areas of Malko Tarnovo and Rezovo. This change in routes has led traffickers to move specifically to these zones. Zlatanov explained that a large part of the border line there is a river, which facilitates crossing. The traffickers used moments when border patrols were passing to get the groups through.

The Director of the Border Police also revealed alarming details about the increasingly advanced methods of smugglers. He stated that traffickers from the Turkish side are now using drones to monitor the border territory and plan their actions. Zlatanov also explained that a group of about 24 people needs only a minute or a minute and a half to cross the fence, using a high ladder or a pre-made cut. Once the migrants set foot on Bulgarian territory, police teams begin to track them.

• The developments in Lozenets and the revelations of Chief Commissioner Zlatanov raise serious questions about border security and the need for adequate measures in response to the constantly evolving tactics of criminal networks.
• The situation highlights that the problem of illegal migration is dynamic and requires continuous adaptation on the part of state institutions.