Representatives of the Interior Ministry at the highest level and influential politicians are involved in the attempt to foil the operation by the General Directorate for Combating Organised Crime against a cigarette smuggling ring in Plovdiv in November last year, Ivaylo Mirchev, MP from We Continue the Change/Democratic Bulgaria (PP/DB) told reporters in parliament, the Bulgarian news agency BTA reports.

PP/DB say the prosecutor’s office may try to cover up the case, that is why they will be seeking more information. “It is now clear to us that this is a very serious smuggling ring which has the protection of politicians, of the prosecutor’s office and of the police,” Ivaylo Mirchev said.  

“Today we shall demand to be given no less than 8 documents which we found out existed at yesterday’s hearing (at the Internal Security and Public Order Committee – editorial note). These documents are orders by the then Minister of Interior Atanas Ilkov, reports – including documents connected with the preliminary investigation inside the Interior Ministry itself, and if this information has been handed over to the prosecutor’s office, it is very important to know when this took place – whether before the case became public,” said Bozhidar Bozhanov from PP/DB. “The political system will not stop looking into this case because the prosecutor’s office is not to be believed when it comes to cases connected, most probably, with the leader of DPS-New Beginning Delyan Peevski,” Bozhidar Bozhanov said further.