Law enforcement in Bulgaria

Bulgarian law enforcement organisations are mainly subordinate to the Ministry of Interior.

The National Police Service is responsible for combatting general crime and supporting the operations of other law enforcement agencies, the National Investigative Service and the Central Service for Combating Organized Crime. The Police Service has criminal and financial sections and national and local offices.

The Central Service for Combating Organized Crime, also under the Ministry of Interior, collects information about national and international crimes involving criminal organizations, mainly trafficking, financial crimes, and domestic and international terrorism. The service also is a coordinating body for other police agencies.

The National Investigative Service, which is under the authority of the Ministry of Justice, is the national investigative agency for serious crimes, responsible for preparing supporting evidence in criminal cases. In 2005 a new penal code shifted some of that service’s caseload to the National Police Service.

The Ministry of Interior also heads the Border Police Service and the National Gendarmerie, a specialized branch for antiterrorist activity, crisis management, and riot control. In 2005 the Border Police, which underwent large-scale reform under European Union (EU) supervision in the early 2000s, had 12,000 personnel.