Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

Police reveal horrific details of migrant deaths near Sofia

Photo: Archive

The secret compartment of the timber truck in which the Afghan migrants died of suffocation was meant for 25-30 people. Out of greed, the traffickers crammed in 52, Borislav Sarafov, director of the National Investigative Service, told a news briefing. 

They transported the migrants from the Turkish border to the border with Serbia. The traffickers were paid between 5,000 and 7,000 euros via the hawala system. The driver took 100 euros per person and the leader - around 1,000 euros per person. 

The 6-member criminal group prepared the hiding places themselves, lined with foil so that body heat would not be detected by X-ray. After Trayanova Vrata mountain pass, the traffickers heard a thumping sound, but did not stop. The victims suffocated for between 30 and 60 minutes. Outside Sofia, the pounding intensified. The drivers stopped. Seeing the suffocating migrants and understanding that there were casualties, they fled.

On Friday police in Bulgaria discovered an abandoned truck containing the bodies of 18 migrants from Afghanista, who appeared to have suffocated to death inside a secret compartment under a load of lumber.


Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Tourist tax in Sofia to be raised

The administration of Sofia municipality is mulling raising the tourist tax which has remained unchanged for ten years. Raising the tax, collected from the visitors to the capital city every day, is connected with the intention by Sofia Mayor Vassil..

published on 8/29/24 1:07 PM

Bulgaria has spent more than EUR 250 million on elections since 2021

At the end of October, Bulgaria is to hold parliamentary elections for the second time in 2024, this time for the 51st National Assembly. Since the beginning of 2021, these is the seventh consecutive parliamentary elections and the sixth..

published on 8/29/24 12:15 PM

A fundraising campaign has been launched to support the firefighters in Rila Mountain

The mayor of the village of Samoranovo (Dupnitsa Municipality) has initiated an urgent fundraising campaign in connection with the fire in Rila Mountain, reported BNR- Blagoevgrad. The aim of the initiative is to urgently purchase firefighting..

published on 8/29/24 11:53 AM