A scandal has erupted in Bulgaria involving an alleged police cover-up of a multimillion-euro cigarette smuggling operation.
Last week, the civic organization BOEC, known for its long-standing campaign to reform Bulgaria’s judicial system, released WhatsApp messages between police officers that indicate high-level corruption in a case reminiscent of a Hollywood crime drama.
The leaked messages claim that in November 2024, six Bulgarian police officers discovered a suspicious truck likely transporting contraband cigarettes. They reported it to their superiors, urging immediate action. Although the leadership initially praised the officers for tracking the vehicle, they later ordered them to abandon the operation. “Colleagues, fall back,” their direct superior Ivan Ivanov wrote in the WhatsApp group.
However, the officers disobeyed the order and continued the raid. Reportedly, just before the suspects were apprehended, they received a phone call and tried to flee, as seen in footage from the operation.
The truck was found to contain illegal cigarettes worth around €6 million. Authorities suspect the shipment was part of a long-standing smuggling route supplying cigarettes to the EU and the Middle East.
This operation marked the largest single seizure of contraband cigarettes by Bulgarian police. Details of the case emerged in early April when the WhatsApp chat and raid footage were made public.
According to sources cited by Euractiv, the evidence was released to protect the involved officers from potential retaliation and dismissal.
Interior Minister Daniel Mitov stated that the police would investigate the published materials. Boyko Borissov, leader of the ruling GERB party and former prime minister, called for “everyone involved in the case to be swept out.”
The scandal deepened when the opposition pro-European coalition “We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria” demanded full accountability and warned they would push for resignations if a thorough investigation was not launched. On Friday, the political group asked parliament to compel the Ministry of Interior to disclose all data, including classified information related to the operation, but the majority rejected the proposal.
BOEC alleges that some of the police commanders involved may be connected to Delyan Peevski, a powerful MP from the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, who has been sanctioned by the US and UK for corruption. Peevski’s party plays a key role in supporting the current ruling coalition.
Peevski denies any wrongdoing, claiming that “the entire smuggling network will be exposed,” and accused his political opponents of using “fabricated stories” to discredit his party.
The issue has international implications. Late last year, Belgian media reported that imports of cigarettes from Bulgaria and Turkey were significantly reducing excise tax revenue in Belgium. It is estimated that the country loses about €500 million annually, with 25.6% of cigarettes consumed in Belgium originating abroad—mainly from Bulgaria.
