Bulgarian Police Detain 36 in Widespread Vote-Buying Crackdown
Crime | October 18, 2024, Friday // 15:01| views@novinite.com
By 2:00 p.m., the Bulgarian Ministry of Internal Affairs had received 259 reports of vote-buying, with nine of those reported within the last hour. Authorities have launched 70 pre-trial proceedings and detained 36 individuals, as announced by Acting Minister of Internal Affairs, Atanas Ilkov, during a briefing. The Ministry shared updated information regarding its efforts to combat crimes affecting the political rights of citizens.
In the course of investigations into vote-buying activities, authorities also discovered cases of illegal logging in Smolyan and Kardzhali.
"Yesterday, we found trucks involved in illegal wood acquisition in Smolyan and Kardzhali. These vehicles are non-operational and decommissioned. It appears that this wood might be used to persuade citizens to vote for a specific political party. In other instances, our colleagues seized cash, lists, documents, and other evidence related to breaches of the Electoral Code," explained Ilkov.
Police data indicates an increase in citizen reports compared to the previous summer elections. While the Ministry’s briefing was ongoing, two additional reports were submitted.
"There are currently 261 signals, up from 184 during the last elections, indicating a rise in civic engagement against vote-buying. Operations have also increased, with more specialized interventions and individuals being investigated," stated Ilkov.
He added that the 36 detained individuals were apprehended across various regions, and further analysis is underway to determine any connections among them.
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