Border police discovered 16 migrants hiding in a truck stopped in Calafat

Romanian and Bulgarian border police discovered 16 people hiding in a truck stopped Thursday morning on DN 56, near the toll station of the Calafat–Vidin Bridge. The individuals said they were Iranian and Iraqi citizens and did not have valid documents for crossing the border and traveling within the Schengen Area.

The truck, registered in Slovakia, was driven by a 36-year-old Turkish citizen and was traveling on the Turkey–Poland route. The vehicle was inspected in a parking area as part of an operation carried out by Romanian and Bulgarian border police together with officers from the Craiova Regional Customs Directorate.

According to the transport documents, the truck was loaded with containers intended for food storage. During the inspection, authorities noticed that the semitrailer’s security cord had been cut and replaced. After the cargo compartment was opened, the 16 people were found hiding among the goods.

Officers from the Dolj Territorial Border Police Service have opened an investigation into migrant trafficking and fraudulent border crossing. Once the investigation is completed, prosecutors will order the measures required by law. The 16 foreign nationals were taken over by the Bulgarian authorities for further checks.