Bulgaria’s border police busted an international human trafficking ring from Afghanistan.

Police arrested two Bulgarians, 35 and 41, and a Turkish citizen, 41, on charges of organising the scheme, an Interior Ministry press release said.

Bulgarian officers found two Afghanis without IDs hidden under the seats of the international train from Turkey on February 20. The ring organisers were detained in the region of the first railway station after the border in Bulgaria.

Traffickers used to transport groups of three to four Afghanis as regular passengers in train from Istanbul to Kapikule border checkpoint between Turkey and Bulgaria. Near the border the Afghanis were hidden in the carriage’s ceiling or under the seats in the compartment.

Depending on the situation, the traffickers decided whether the Afghanis should traveled to Bulgaria’s interior or should jump from the moving train before the passport inspection.

After getting off the train the Afghanis were transported to the town of Nova Zagora, the press release said.

They were sent to Sofia to ask for refugee status which allows them to stay in the country. They usually tried to reach the UK. The total cost of the transfer was $15 000 per capita.

Members of the trafficking ring responsible for the Afghanis’ transportation from Turkey to Bulgaria received $100 for travel expenses per person, police said. Bulgarian and Turkish traffickers received additional $1500 after the Afghanis reached Nova Zagora.

Police revealed that the traffickers caused the death of one Afghani on January 6 2007 by forcing him to jump from moving train, the press release said.