Lesovo Border Crossing Open After 15-Hour Police Operation

The closure of the Lesovo border crossing formed long truck queues. Photo: BGNES

The Lesovo border crossing between Bulgaria and Turkey was opened after a 15-hour operation against corrupt customs officers, said the Prosecutor's Office.

The operation, which started shortly before midnight on November 2, was coordinated by Chief Prosecutor Sotir Tsatsarov and Vladimir Pisanchev, head of the National Security Agency (DANS).

During the operation were arrested the customs officers from both shifts at the border crossing, which caused its closure. On Sunday afternoon their duties were taken over by customs officers from other border crossings.

DANS agents and police searched 40 premises – offices at the border crossing and residences – and confiscated sums of money in leva, euro, US dollars and Turkish lira. Interrogations and identifications are still underway.

Details on the operation will be announced on Monday.

According to some media reports, members of the public have repeatedly complained of being blackmailed and forced into paying imaginary fees and taxes to the customs officers on the Bulgarian side of the crossing.

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