Sarafov: The migrants in the truck died slowly and painfully for 30 to 60 minutes – Crimes – Bulgaria – NOVA News

“These 18 dead young people and the many injured are the result of the disintegration of the institutions, of the purge of the Ministry of Internal Affairs by the previous interior minister. They closed the most serious element of the fight against organized crime – the Special Investigation. The results are visible. Our main enemy is crime.” This was stated by the chief prosecutor Ivan Geshev at a special media briefing after 18 suffocated migrants were found yesterday.

Deputy Chief Prosecutor and Director of the National Investigation Borislav Sarafov highlighted the activities of his employees. He told what the investigating authorities found and that the victims died slowly and painfully for 30 to 60 minutes.

See exactly where the refugees were hidden

Deputy Chief Prosecutor and Director of the National Investigation Borislav Sarafov highlighted the activities of his employees. He told what the investigating authorities found and that the migrants died slowly and painfully for 30 to 60 minutes.

The criminal group carrying out the channeling receives the migrants from the border in Turkey and with the help of trucks with various caches, they transport migrants from the Turkish border to the Serbian border. They travel mainly to Great Britain, Germany and France, pay between 5 and 7 thousand euros using the Hawala method.

“Bulgarian channel operators take part of the amount. Drivers receive 100 euros per transported migrant. The group leader – between 500 and 1000 euros per person. The group consists of 6 people, the secretaries prepare them themselves”, explained Sarafov. He said the caches were equipped with foil to prevent X-rays from seeing the bodies inside.

“Around 7-7:30 in the morning, the two drivers went with the coffin truck to Burgasko. 52 male people, apparently between the ages of 14 and 35, were uploaded. At one point, shortly after Trajanovi vrata, a loud noise was heard from the body of the truck, but the drivers continued on their way. People died slowly and painfully for 30 to 60 minutes,” explained the director of the investigation.

He pointed out that more than 20 searches were carried out, more than 30 examinations were appointed, some of them are ready. “We managed within these 24 hours to establish all the criminal activity of this group. We worked to uncover and document the entire criminal activity of this channel group. The Ministry of Internal Affairs carried out operational and intelligence work,” said Sarafov.

“Perhaps the reason for the death of these people is purely human greed – too many migrants have been picked up – the 52nd. In previous cases, 25-30 to 35 migrants were picked up”. In the course of the investigation, it was established that this group has not been working for a while – they have been carrying out at least two “transports” per month,” said Sarafov.

According to Atanas Ilkov, director of the National Police, a criminal case is being politicized, which is not good. More importantly, there should be legislative changes, he said.

Health Minister Asen Medjidiev explained that all 34 people from the ill-fated truck were given medical care. “Of these, 27 have been admitted to five Sofia hospitals, which have assembled additional teams to be able to respond. 19 migrants remain in hospitals, of them 8 have been released because their indicators are good, most of them were accommodated in the Military Ramp refugee accommodation center, 14 of them are minors. They are provided with a psychologist, food, clothes. Five have been discharged from “Pirogov”, three remain intubated there. Two have been extubated, we are expecting the third, they are in contact and talking. There is nothing threatening to their health. Including, the ambassador of Afghanistan also came and talked with them”, said the health minister.

“In the hospital “St. Anna” had four children, three of whom were minors. According to their claims, they are 13, 14 and 17 years old. There remains one in intensive care who is contactable and adequate. 4 migrants entered ISUL. They were examined, released immediately. Four people are accommodated in “Tokuda”. Two with abrasions, two with lung problems. They will be released on Monday. Four more in the Ministry of Internal Affairs hospital – mostly dehydrated. We helped the rest of the living to live,” Medzhidiev added.

Hristo Krastev – Deputy City Prosecutor and spokesperson of the City Prosecutor’s Office stated that six defendants have been charged in the case, but their number may increase. “Today, tomorrow or Monday, both the accused and the charges may increase,” he said. “The charge is for causing the death of more than one person. As the case is particularly serious, precisely because the death of 18 people occurred for transporting without a license”, explained the Deputy City Prosecutor of Sofia.

“One accusation against the organizer is for organizing a criminal group with a selfish goal – bringing across the border of the country persons who do not have permission to cross. The second is for channeling. He led this group from January 2022 until yesterday,” said Krastev and added that the organizer of the group could be imprisoned for 5 to 15 years. The organizer of the criminal group has the initials V.K. He is the organizer of a criminal group with a profit motive.

The second crime is for assisting in residence in the territory of the country, movement in the territory of the country – of more than 1 person, of persons under 16 years of age, in a manner dangerous for those being transported. The act was committed by a criminal group and by using a car. For this crime, imprisonment from 1 to 6 years and a fine from 5 to 20,000 BGN is foreseen. The organizer of the criminal activity has been convicted many times, he was known to the police from 1997 to 2023. Multiple convictions and an effective sentence for channeling. He is banned from leaving the country, added the deputy city prosecutor.

The rest have the initials P.Ya, T.T. The fourth participant in the criminal group has left the territory of the strata, there is a European arrest warrant for him, he has not been convicted. The fifth participant was recruited to channel the specific 52 migrants. The sixth is the driver of the truck with the initials AA, he was convicted of theft and drunk driving. The pronouncement of the measures is expected on Monday, it became clear from the words of the deputy city prosecutor of Sofia.

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