Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

An organized crime group involved in the export of dual-use goods to Russia busted in Plovdiv

Photo: Stoyan Terziev, Radio Plovdiv

An organized crime group involved in the export of dual-use goods to Russia has been uncovered in Plovdiv. 12 people were arrested - three Russian nationals, seven Bulgarian citizens, one Albanian citizen and one citizen of Belarus. Five of them have been indicted. The dual-use goods included binoculars, telescopic sights, etc. The group has been active since early 2021. 

Purchases for over EUR 2 million have been made. The items were bought abroad, repackaged in Plovdiv, delivered to Sofia and later sent to Russia. The items were used in the war against Ukraine. "They were not intended for the regular Russian army, but for the special forces fighting in Ukraine - the 26th special purpose unit, the naval infantry, the Wagner Group, etc.", explained the head of the State Agency for National Security Plamen Tonchev.




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

Morning temperatures remain low, but the day will be spring-like warm

On Friday , the lowest temperatures will be between minus 5 and 0°C. In Sofia it will be around minus 3°C. In the morning hours along the riverbanks and around water basins there will be reduced visibility. It will be sunny during..

published on 3/20/25 7:05 PM
Prime Minister Zhelyazkov (left) at a meeting with ECB and Eurogroup Presidents Christine Lagarde (middle) and Paschal Donahue, Brussels, March 20, 2025

PM discusses Bulgaria's eurozone entry with ECB and Eurogroup presidents

The importance of eurozone membership for Bulgaria was the focus of Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov's meeting with European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde and Eurogroup President Pascal Donahue. On the sidelines of the European Council meeting..

published on 3/20/25 6:07 PM

BNB Governor: Bulgaria meets all nominal criteria for the eurozone

"Currently, Bulgaria is one of the few in the EU that unconditionally meets all nominal criteria for convergence to the eurozone, including the price stability criterion, with which we have had problems in recent years." This was..

published on 3/20/25 3:35 PM