Bulgaria: Police Chief in Razgrad has been Detained and is Under Investigation for Corruption

The head of the "Migration" group in the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Razgrad has been detained and is now under investigation for corruption. A total of 5 people were arrested during the operation of the "Internal Security" Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the District Prosecutor's Office in Razgrad, and one more is being sought.

Pavel Marinov was detained this morning in his office, which is located in the building of the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He has been in the system of the Ministry since 1995, and since 2011 he has been the head of the "Migration" group at the MIA in Razgrad.

According to initial information, together with 5 other people, he participated in a criminal scheme for fictitious registration of foreigners - candidates for long-term residence in the Republic of Bulgaria.

According to the indictment, two of those detained today mediated the recruitment of candidates for obtaining a type D visa, giving them the right to long-term residence in Bulgaria. They found addresses where they fictitiously registered foreigners.

As head of the "Migration" group, Pavel Marinov did not check whether the named persons were at the given addresses.

"It's about corruption. The comment about the Internal Security Directorate is exactly what it's about - investigating crimes, corrupt bribes, and performing these actions systematically," said the Chief Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Chief Commissioner Petar Todorov.

"The investigation is at its beginning. This is another example that the Ministry of Internal Affairs works well. It works both in countering organized and conventional crime, as well as anti-social acts...