A total of six people were detained after employees of the Main Directorate “Fighting Organized Crime” (GDBOP) uncovered a large-scale real estate fraud scheme on the territory of the Sofia, Varna and Vratsa regions, the directorate announced.
Four have been charged with participation in an organized crime group (OCG), money laundering and drafting documents with false content. Three have been remanded in custody.
According to the information currently revealed, the property fraud group has been operating since May 2016. And the scheme was: they found properties – agricultural land and housing whose owners are not interested in them or are of elderly people without heirs. After obtaining ownership of the properties, they were transferred through purchase and sale to various individuals and legal entities. Various false documents and handwritten wills from deceased or single people have been found.
In the course of the investigation, several properties and private cars were searched. Identifications and interviews of witnesses have been carried out. Numerous computer configurations, mobile devices, a sum of money and documents related to the group's activities were seized. The investigation was conducted under the pre-trial proceedings of the GDBOP under the supervision of the District Prosecutor's Office – Varna.
BTA recalls that at the beginning five people were detained permanently in custody after a specialized operation of the GDBOP against a criminal group engaged in human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation in the country and abroad.
Police actions began nearly a year ago, data was collected from and about persons who suffered from criminal activity, including minors. They were found to have been held against their will in facilities where they were sexually exploited and abused.