Two men aged 68 and 75 were detained on February 28 in a specialized operation for the production and distribution of counterfeit official documents. This was announced by the director of the Internal Affairs Directorate Lyubomir Nikolov and the spokesman for the Sofia District Prosecutor's Office Nikolay Nikolaev.
According to police data, during searches of two addresses, numerous pieces of evidence were found - blanks for counterfeit ID cards and passports, hologram stickers, as well as materials that are believed to be intended for the production of counterfeit banknotes, specifically euro banknotes with a denomination of 20 and 100 euros.
The investigators also seized flash drives that are believed to contain pre-print files for the production of counterfeit banknotes, as well as diplomas, notarial deeds and other documents. "The officers from the Economic Police Department prevented a very serious criminal offense," said the director of the Internal Affairs Directorate. According to him, the documents produced are of very high quality and could mislead even untrained police officers outside Bulgaria.
The operational information was received after false documents were detected when presented to state authorities. The two men are well known to law enforcement and have been detained before for similar crimes. They have an extensive criminal past, with one of them having been convicted.
The spokesman for the Sofia District Prosecutor's Office, Nikolay Nikolaev, specified that the two were brought in as defendants for criminal association. Although they have numerous criminal records, they are currently considered rehabilitated, as the legal deadlines have expired.
In view of the public danger and the likelihood that one of the accused will commit a new crime, he was detained for up to 72 hours. The older one was released on bail.
In connection with the tension in the Middle East, the police indicated that the institutions are working in active cooperation. The police presence has been increased around sites related to the Israeli and American presence, as well as in the area of the airports.