Migrant smugglers deliberately cause accidents when they are noticed by the police, in order to divert the attention of law enforcement agencies and escape, informs BNT. This is becoming a trend after the last case in which a van with 24 migrants crashed into parked cars in Lozenets, and the driver was searched for hours. Last night, a large group of locals who were hidden in a small van was caught again
The accident that the 21-year-old Georgian smuggler caused on Saturday evening is not accidental. According to investigators, these were most likely the instructions from the leaders of the scheme after the van with migrants was spotted by the police.
"For some time now, there has been a practice of behavior by drivers of vehicles, perpetrators of this category of crimes, that they deliberately cause traffic accidents, in order to draw attention to the injured persons. In this way, the drivers are given the opportunity to leave the scene of the accident unhindered", commented Maria Markova, head of the Burgas District Prosecutor's Office.
The Georgian citizen did the same. He jumped out of the van with migrants while it was still moving and fled. After a 16-hour search, he was detained in a taxi, trying to leave the Lozenets region. Today, the prosecutor's office filed charges against him.
"He pleads not guilty. He does not give any explanations regarding his stay in the country. He says that he is with a girlfriend here, but he has never been to the village of Lozenets, which does not correspond to the evidence collected. The person was identified based on the description of some of the witnesses who were in the area of the incident, as well as on security and surveillance camera recordings," explained Maria Markova.
The migrants paid between 3,000 and 5,000 euros for transportation through Bulgaria. Most traveled to Western Europe.
"Some of the individuals have information that they are traveling to the Republic of Bulgaria. It is in the process of establishing where and with whom these individuals were going to stay," Maria Markova also said.
According to data from the "Border Police", the number of large groups of migrants captured, transported in small vans, has increased. The reason - the refugees could not pay the large sums demanded by the traffickers, reaching up to 20,000 euros, and thus the low pay was compensated.