Three men aged 62, 52 and 29 have been charged with a scheme for the resale of leased cars from abroad. They were detained on October 2 in a specialized operation after a six-month investigation by the “Combating Economic Crime“ department at the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Plovdiv.
During searches of addresses and used premises in Plovdiv, Asenovgrad and Kardzhali, purchase and sale contracts, powers of attorney, blank forms for registration of motor vehicles, registration certificates and Bulgarian and foreign registration plates were seized. The data was reported by the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs – Plovdiv.
According to the police, the cars were acquired from countries in Western Europe and registered in Bulgaria. They were then offered through internet advertisements or fictitious intermediaries, often at attractive prices. It later turned out that the leasing payments to foreign companies had been stopped and the cars were declared wanted in the Schengen Information System.
As a result, the cars were seized by their new owners, who, according to the investigation, were unaware of the problems surrounding the lease. So far, three car deals worth between 10,000 and 30,000 euros have been documented. Work to identify more buyers is ongoing.
Following a report of the materials at the Regional Prosecutor's Office - Plovdiv, charges were brought against the three. By order of the supervising prosecutor, the 52-year-old defendant was detained for up to 72 hours, and the other two were given a "cash bail" measure.
The investigation is ongoing. The three men are accused and are presumed innocent until a court decision comes into effect.
Sources: BNT, BTA