Over 100,000 leva were found in the home of the employee of the “Customs“ agency detained for corruption. This was announced at a briefing by the prosecutor's office. Pre-trial proceedings have been initiated for accepting a bribe from a metal trader in Dragoman. During the court proceedings, the court ruled on a "house arrest" measure due to the deteriorating condition of his father, whom he must take care of, the prosecution added. It will be protested by the prosecutor's office. The employee has been under surveillance by the services for several months together with other persons who have been released.
"On November 13, at around 9 a.m., a trader appeared at the “Dragoman" customs office – carrier of metals from China, which were processed in Turkey, for which he has the relevant documents that are subject to inspection. The trader appeared with the aim of releasing the goods without customs inspection, for which he gave the customs inspector the amount of about 1,000 leva. The purpose of the bribe given was to process the documents quickly, without delay and without performing a physical inspection, as well as without performing samples of the metals that were transported. After the trader left the customs office, officers of the General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime entered the customs office and conducted a search and seizure. In the front and back pockets of his trousers, 960 and 500 leva were found, respectively, in his pocket, explained Acting District Prosecutor of Sofia Natalia Nikolova.
11 searches and seizures followed, both of office premises, and of homes and cars. The amount of over 110 thousand leva was found in the customs inspector's home, of which 50 thousand - in euros. During another search, various notes were found certifying the goods, and commemorative coins were found and seized. Witnesses were questioned.
"The customs officer has been charged with requesting and accepting a gift - the sum of one thousand leva - in order to omit official actions, namely not to carry out a customs inspection and not to take samples of the cargo," Nikolova explained.
„The work began in November 2024, and the employees of the „Corruption” department at the General Directorate of Anti-Corruption have developed this information. They have collected enough data, they have used all the permissions from the law”, confirmed Commissioner Boyan Raev, Director of the Directorate of Corruption Prevention.
“It is most likely not happening only there – at the customs level, in Dragoman, but also across the country”, said Ivan Koev, head of the sector in the “Corruption” department of the Directorate of Corruption Prevention.