Joint investigation code named RING-RING, on SIM cards fraud, conducted between Bulgarian and Romanian law enforcement authorities was successfully finalized on 18 of April 2019, following two years of exchanges of information supported also by SELEC and its Liaison Officers. The investigation targeted dismantling an organized crime group that committed frauds related to/and through mobile means of communication on the territory of Republic of Bulgaria. The members of the organized crime group were Bulgarian citizens who were traveling to Romania in order to purchase prepaid phone cards, used for committing the criminal activities. Joint actions were developed in the same time on the territory of Bulgaria and Romania, following house searches hundreds of prepaid cards and mobile phones being seized. It was determined, as a modus operandi, that the members of the OCG used various SIM cards to initiate phone conversations and by using false pretexts and/or pretending to be state officials (including police officers) they determined the victims to transmit them various amounts of money, the profit obtained by the members of the organized crime group during these two years being evaluated at approx. 1 million euro.
Following this investigation 30 suspects were arrested in both countries. The judicial proceedings are currently ongoing.
