139 crime groups, with 862 members, for smuggled cigarettes, goods and drug traffic were neutralised from the beginning of 2007 till October. 457 people were detained with pre-trial proceedings being initiated against 415 people. 44 canals for smuggling of cigarettes, drugs, illegal goods and human traffic were discovered and neutralised.

These numbers were announced by Bulgaria's Minister of Interior Roumen Petkov on November 13 at the 2-day forum titled Bulgaria's progress towards its recognition as an European state of law, held at the Bulgarian News Agency BTA on November 12 and 13, Focus News Agency said.

1323 kg and 150 thousand pills of narcotic substances were confiscated over the July-September 2007 period, Petkov said. 127 pre-trial proceedings for possession and distribution of drugs were initiated.

By October 1 2007 42 pre-trial proceeding for participating in organised crime groups had been concluded.

Minister Petkov, as reported by Focus News Agency, said that one of the results that law enforcement achieved in 2007 was the creation of a different atmosphere in the organisation of the work process. There was no more exchange of criticism and assessment between the personnel of key institutions. Therefore the situation where institutions dealt mainly with solving personal problems instead of fighting organised crime was gone, he added.