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Bulgarian police officers sentenced for 2.3 million BGN cigarette theft
The Supreme Court of Cassation has issued a final ruling sentencing three former employees of the Bulgarian Ministry of Interior to seven years in prison each. The sentences, which will be served under an initial strict regime, follow the theft of 382,134 packs of cigarettes from a warehouse in Pleven.
The stolen tobacco products, valued at approximately 2,364,251.95 BGN, were being held as physical evidence in a pre-trial proceeding. The court determined the theft was committed in two separate acts using a ladder, a metal plate, and a metal bar.
The defendants included a former head of the Economic Crime Unit in Pleven, a junior traffic police controller, and a former head of a local police station who had also served as the acting director of the Pleven regional directorate. While the Pleven District Court initially handed down 10-year sentences, the Veliko Tarnovo Court of Appeal reduced them to seven years, a decision upheld by the Supreme Court.
Entities
Ministry of Interior · Pleven · Pleven Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Interior · Sofia City Prosecutor's Office · Supreme Court of Cassation
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 2 SOURCES] The theft was carried out in two separate acts. safenews.bg · trafficnews.bg
- [● 3 SOURCES] The total value of the stolen tobacco products is 2,364,251.95 BGN. safenews.bg · trafficnews.bg · petel.bg
- [● 3 SOURCES] The Supreme Court of Cassation confirmed the sentences on August 14, 2026. safenews.bg · trafficnews.bg · petel.bg
- [● 3 SOURCES] The defendants stole 382,134 packs of cigarettes. safenews.bg · trafficnews.bg · petel.bg
- [● 2 SOURCES] The perpetrators used a ladder, a metal plate, and a metal bar to access the warehouse. safenews.bg · trafficnews.bg
- [● 3 SOURCES] The stolen cigarettes were being held as evidence in a pre-trial proceeding. safenews.bg · trafficnews.bg · petel.bg
- [● 3 SOURCES] Three former Ministry of Interior employees were sentenced to 7 years in prison each. safenews.bg · trafficnews.bg · petel.bg
- [● 3 SOURCES] The sentences will be served under an initial strict regime. safenews.bg · trafficnews.bg · petel.bg