Bulgarian prosecutors said on October 11 that five foreign citizens – three Russian nationals, a Belarusian national, and an Albanian national -- have been charged with participating in a criminal group that was illegally exporting goods for Russian units fighting in Ukraine.
The announcement comes a day after Bulgarian authorities said they had arrested 12 people who purportedly participated in an organized crime group that had allegedly exported “dual-use goods” to Russia -- products intended for civilian use that can also be used for military purposes -- in violation of the sanctions imposed by the EU on Moscow because of its war against Ukraine.
Plovdiv District Prosecutor Vanya Hristeva told state broadcaster BNT on October 11 that the five people were charged with criminal responsibility in the scheme and that the district prosecutor’s office has submitted a request for their permanent detention.
Hristeva said that the activities of the criminal group went through a company registered in Plovdiv, a city located about 130 kilometers east of the capital, Sofia, which purchased the goods from abroad and then repackaged them in an apartment in the city.
The goods were then transported in suitcases and bags to the Sofia airport, where an attempt was made to export them. However, a special operation conducted by the police and the national-security agency prevented them from being shipped.
The goods included optical sights, binoculars, aviation radios, and computer software worth about 4 million leva ($2.2 million).
They “were intended for Russian units involved in the war in Ukraine,” including Wagner mercenaries, and for the regular Russian army, according to the head of the State Agency for National Security (DANS) Plamen Tonchev.
Tonchev also said that the criminal group has been operating in other EU member states, as well as in the United Kingdom, Serbia, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates, and that it has been active since 2021.
Even before Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the European Union had imposed sanctions on Russia following its annexation of Crimea in 2014. Among the 2014 sanctions is a ban on exporting “dual-use goods and technology” intended for military end-users.
In Bulgaria, dual-use goods can only be exported with a permit issued by a commission under the auspices of the Economy Ministry. The national-security agency said the alleged criminal group acted without the necessary permission.
In the recent months, Bulgarian intelligence agencies have come under fire from the newly formed government over their lack of action in countering Russian influence. This led to a conflict between the government and President Rumen Radev, who appoints the heads of key intelligence agencies, including the State Agency for National Security.
Bulgaria is a member of the European Union and NATO but has close historical and cultural ties to Russia.
Relations between the two countries have been strained since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.