General term for criminal organizations based in Bulgaria, composed of ethnic Bulgarians. Involved in drug trafficking, arms smuggling, human trafficking, extortion, and other crimes. Originated in the early 1990s, with many members coming from former Communist-era wrestlers. The groups have infiltrated business and politics, and remain active.
CRIMENET has extracted 10 linkages for this organization, including 8 cooperative ties across 5 organizations, 2 conflicts across 2 organizations and footprints in 3 countries.
the Italian police, together with the Bulgarian police, dismantled a Bulgarian gang that operated mainly in the Italian region of Tuscany
Credit Suisse and a former employee stood trial in Switzerland 's first criminal case against a major bank, accused of enabling a Bulgarian cocaine trafficking group to launder around CHF146 million
Drug trafficking organizations run by Bulgarian nationals have been investigated in across US, especially in Los Angeles and Tampa. These groups deal with the import of cocaine and multi-thousand doses of ecstasy into the United States.