Mladen Marinov

Increased security measures in front of diplomatic missions and institutions are now in force in Sofia, announced the director of Sofia Police Mladen Marinov, reported Focus Agency.

The measures were introduced after the incident in Berlin on Monday night when a truck hit a Christmas bazaar killing 12 people and injuring tens more.

Sofia's downtown area is being subjected to a blockade for most of the weekend ahead of a concert staged by talkshow host Slavi Trifonov.

The unprecedented security measures have sparked controversy as the concert is part of Slavi Trifonov's campaigning for his referendum on several political issues.

Over 4,000 illegal migrants have been detained by Sofia police in the first 8 months of 2016, stated to BNR the Director of Sofia Directorate of Interior Affairs, Mladen Marinov.

Most of the migrants are from Afghanistan. There have been signals of attacks on women by migrants, but these signals have been checked and remain unconfirmed.

Bulgarian police have released an Armenian man who took off from Sofia Airport Terminal 1 leaving his minivan parked in front and fueling bomb suspicions.

Artashes Tigranyan was detained on Thursday after returning to Bulgaria.

Police officers blocked traffic in the central part of Sofia on Tuesday to protest cuts in their remuneration packages planned in the 2016 budget draft.

The Finance Ministry is proposing to cut in half the sum paid upon retirement, decrease the extra remuneration allocated for each year in service and cut the period of annual paid leave.

A scuffle broke out late on Sunday as "far-right" leader Volen Siderov broke into the National Academy for Theater and Film Arts (NATFA) building in downtown Sofia and was taken out by dozens of police officers.

Out of 34 detained at the protests held Tuesday in the Orlandovtsi neighborhood in Sofia, Bulgaria, only 8 were from the neighborhood, police say.

Initially the number of arrested people was lower but law enforcement officers had to take more into custody over hooliganism and refusing to heed police orders.

At least 30 people have been detained in Bulgaria's capital Sofia after the second night of protests that began Saturday evening over loud music played in the Orlandovtsi neighborhood.

Police say the main goal of security forces now is to prevent further incidents, apart from boosting security in a neighborhood that has been recently marked by Bulgaria-Roma tensions.

Sofia District Interior Ministry Directorate has reported an increase in frauds, drug related crimes, petty theft and vandalism, Wednesday.

Crime detection rate has increased as well, according to the latest data released by the Sofia District Police Directorate in the presence of caretaker Deputy Interior Minister Filip Gunev.