Bulgaria to crack down on organized crime

Concerned that Bulgaria's rising crime wave might imperil its efforts to join the European Union next year, police there have pledged to bust the country's four biggest Mafia crime rings by the end of the summer.

The Sofia newspaper Vestnik Standart Friday quoted a high-ranking government official as saying, "Bulgaria's most notorious criminal kingpins will be arrested by the beginning of September. Four of the biggest crime-rings in the country will be busted by the end of the summer. These commitments to the EU are provided under the package of anti-crime measures of Bulgaria's Ministry of Home Affairs."

The major crime-busting operation is an essential part of the Bulgarian Cabinet's action plan, which was developed in response to harsh EU criticism of the country's crime problems.

A week ago Chief Commissioner of the Interior Ministry Ilia Ilief said, "Four big crime rings operate in Bulgaria. Their bosses have been identified and the police are working on them."

MPs from the Bulgarian Socialist Party said, "Europe wants to see at least one convicted Bulgarian politician."

The crackdown follows a May 21 statement by Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov urging bolder and quicker action against corruption and organized crime. Bulgarian leaders fear that their failure to act might impede Bulgaria's accession to the European Union planned for January 2007.

The scope of the problem is enormous. Last October, Bulgarian Intelligence Agency director Vassil Kirov told MPs from the Corruption Combat Committee, "Some $360 million is laundered in Bulgaria every year via bank and finance transactions." According to Kirov, another $120 million annually is drained by value added tax.