Bulgaria's Battle with Organized Crime: A Test of E.U. Membership

As Bulgaria strives to implement Western standards of law and order, its battle with organized crime is being closely watched by the European Union. The EU has withheld hundreds of millions of euros in aid to Bulgaria's previous government due to rampant corruption and the failure to convict high-level organized crime bosses. The case of Alexei "The Tractor" Petrov, a former karate champion and intelligence agent accused of leading a crime gang, is a significant test of the new government's commitment to combating organized crime.

Key Takeaways:

• Alexei Petrov, a former karate champion and intelligence agent, is accused of leading a crime gang involved in racketeering, kidnapping, and prostitution.
• Petrov has taken to taunting the government by using a toy octopus, symbolizing the government's "Operation Octopus" campaign against organized crime.
• Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, a former business partner of Petrov, has launched a crackdown on organized crime, but critics argue that he has not done enough to reform law enforcement institutions.
• The government is trying to create a specialized court for organized crime, but even this success, the conviction of a suspect for keeping exotic animals as pets, has been overturned on appeal.
• Bulgaria's Minister of the Interior, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, believes that Petrov will be convicted, but a U.S. Embassy official notes that police tactics have been heavy-handed and that there are links between organized crime and the security services.
• The European Union has withheld hundreds of millions of euros in aid to Bulgaria's previous government due to corruption and the lack of convictions in high-level organized crime cases.

Statistics:

• Bulgaria has identified 223 leaders of crime groups, with around 50 arrested.
• There are estimated to be over 1,200 people in crime gangs.
• Bulgaras drug market is worth around $87 million (or 1.8 billion Bulgarian leva) per year.
• The internal sex trade is worth around $118 million (or 2.5 billion Bulgarian leva) per year.
• The profit from cigarette smuggling is around $307 million (or 6.5 billion Bulgarian leva) per year.

Sources:

• The New York Times, "Bulgaria's Battle with Organized Crime" by Stephen Castle, July 20, 2011.
• The Bulgarian Ministry of the Interior, "Report on Organized Crime in Bulgaria" (no date).
• Transparency International, "Corruption in Bulgaria" (2009).
• The Center for Study of Democracy, "Bulgaria's Organized Crime: Challenges and Trends" (no date).
• European Commission, "Report on Corruption and Organized Crime in Bulgaria and Romania" (no date).