Three foreign workers, Arsenal, the country’s largest arms manufacturer, have been arrested in Bulgaria on suspicion of losing sensitive documents and details, the Interior Ministry said on Thursday.
Bulgarian law enforcement authorities launched an investigation after a private arms manufacturer announced in early October that secret products and documentation that could be of interest to both domestic and foreign competitors had disappeared.
Police have found out that two Lithuanian citizens and one Russian citizen, who was involved in the introduction of an innovative technology at the Arsenal plant, took unpaid leave on September 17, but have not returned to their jobs since then.
However, on October 2, all three were spotted in Kazanlaka, where the plant is located. That was the day before the disappearance of the secret materials.
All three were detained on 5 October at the border with Greece.
Police have found documents and objects in the detainees’ cars, which are believed to be directly related to the investigation at the Arsenal weapons factory, the ministry said in a statement.
The detainees will be taken to the Kazanlaka police station for prosecution.
Arsenal manufactures and exports, among other things, small arms and artillery equipment, as well as ammunition.
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