A bus full of 47 illegal migrants crashed into a police car early Thursday morning in the Bulgarian city of Burgas. Two officers aged 31 and 43 were killed. The refugees were unharmed, Bulgarian health minister Assen Mejidiev said. The fugitive bus driver and a second passenger were arrested, Burgas police chief Kaloyan Kaloyanov announced.
“Initial investigations have shown that there was a targeted collision with the police car,” said chief prosecutor in the coastal town of Burgas, Georgy Chinev, of the course of events. The bus was stolen and was driving with false number plates. Before the accident, he rushed past a traffic control twice without stopping. The prisoners are mostly young men, but there were also women and children among them.
The bus driver and another person who fled the scene were arrested around noon, police in Burgas said. Both men are Syrian citizens with refugee status in Bulgaria. Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev told Bulgarian media that they had organized the trip and accompanied them on the bus.
Border police may be involved in illegal migration cases
“They have declared war on us and we will respond with full force of law in the coming days,” the minister announced. He wants to expel the smugglers by the end of next week and at the same time check all refugee centers in Bulgaria, because there are organized smuggling gangs there.
The Bulgarian Interior Minister sees the problem of the border police allowing such a large group of illegal migrants into the interior. Demerdzhiev did not rule out that border police officers were involved in illegal migration across the Bulgarian-Turkish border south of Burgas on the Black Sea. “We have relevant information,” the interior minister said.
He again warned that migratory pressure on Bulgaria had increased “hugely” in recent weeks. He therefore demanded better technical equipment, including drones, for guarding the border with Turkey.
Another 300 soldiers to guard the border area
The border fence built in 2013/2014 is currently being renovated. Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov promised to provide 300 additional soldiers to patrol the border area in southeastern Bulgaria.
Bulgaria’s border with Turkey is the only land route from the Middle East to Europe. Bulgaria is considered a transit country.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
