Organized crime

Customs officer Georgi Gospodinov keeps a vigilant eye out for unusual cargo at Bulgaria's Kapitan Andreevo border crossing, a critical checkpoint in the fight against migrant trafficking to Britain. Despite being over 150 kilometers from the nearest sea, Gospodinov and his colleagues have become instrumental in thwarting smugglers' attempts to transport migrants across the English Channel.

A recently unveiled Europol report has shown the pervasive influence of criminal networks in the European Union, particularly implicating Bulgarians, Romanians, Serbs, and Ukrainians in the most perilous operations related to human trafficking for labor and sexual exploitation.

Within a short period after Nicosia's announcement of closer cooperation with the US on money laundering issues, the Cypriot Council of Ministers approved the signing of a memorandum of cooperation between the Cyprus Police and the FBI. 

The memorandum pertains to providing assistance in investigating cases of possible sanctions violations, money laundering, and corruption.

Earlier today, the director of Bulgaria's Customs Agency, Petya Bankova, has found herself at the center of an anti-corruption operation. Police, gendarmerie, and State Agency "National Security" (SANS) officials launched a coordinated operation, conducting searches at Bankova's office and residence, as well as her deputy Ludmil Marinov's premises.

Greek authorities have arrested a senior member of an international gang that smuggled Latin American fuel products for illegal sale around the world, raking in an estimated profit of more than $21 billion, police said on Saturday.

Police in southern Attica have arrested an Italian national against whom an international arrest warrant was pending for his involvement smuggling petroleum products internationally.

According to the Interpol red notice and information from foreign authorities, the man is a leading member of a transnational criminal organization based in a Latin American country.

Five people have been arrested at Athens International Airport for attempting to illegally smuggle thousands of packs of cigarettes into the country.

Airport officials found 20,775 packs of cigarettes hidden in 19 pieces of luggage belonging to five passengers who had arrived on a flight from Ethiopia.

Michos found guilty of all charges except human trafficking - Cheers and applause outside the court

Reports from Italian authorities detail a horrifying ordeal where victims were subjected to physical violence and coercion, painting a grim picture of human trafficking and exploitation.

A Polish citizen has been sentenced to one year and three months in prison by the Sofia District Prosecutor's Office for trafficking migrants through Bulgaria. The verdict serves as a stern warning against illegal activities related to human smuggling, emphasizing the severity with which such crimes are treated.