Terrorism: Bulgaria’s Government accused of high-level involvement with organised crime - links to Islamic terrorist groups

Bulgaria’s Government was accused of high-level involvement with organised crime gangs yesterday, in a hard-hitting report that highlighted the failure of the ruling coalition to stamp out corruption or convict anyone for 150 gangland killings, The Times reports.

Government secrets were leaked to mafia figures involved in drug trafficking and a senior minister met alleged underworld bosses regularly, according to the investigation by MPs into corruption in the Interior Ministry. The profits of the drug trade were channelled to terrorist groups in Lebanon and elsewhere in the Middle East.

“Bulgarian crime groups engaged in trafficking . . . drugs sometimes work together with Arab citizens linked to terrorist organisations,” the MPs said.

“We can make the conclusion that part of the money accumulated from drug trafficking is used to finance the work of terrorist organisations such as Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad and Christian militias.”

EU officials are frustrated that the pressure they can put on Bulgaria to carry out reforms to its police and judiciary is limited now that it has been allowed into the 27-nation body. They are also worried that sanctions will lead to the collapse of the Government of Sergei Stanishev, the reformist Prime Minister.

Republished with permission Focus News Agency

Mike Hitchen, Mike Hitchen Consulting Publisher of
i On Global Trends and Sydney Irresistible