Islamic State Fighters Reportedly Travelling in EU on Bulgarian Passports

An article in German newspaper Die Welt claims that a Bulgaria-based cell of Islamic State is supplying jihadist militants with Bulgarian passports that allow them to travel freely in the European Union, Sofia-based 24 Chasa reported on Wednesday.

Being the the poorest member state of the EU, Bulgaria is a very convenient route for the transit of Islamic State (IS) militants, infiltrated into groups of refugees from Syria and other countries, to western Europe where they are to settle by orders of their superiors, Die Welt quoted some Lorenz Berger as saying, according to 24 Chasa.

Berger, who is described as a mercenary fighting in the Middle East, claims that "the Bulgarian mafia provides real passports for travel to some of the fighters, earning 20,000 to 30,000 euro per document."

Border police in Germany has already detained jihadists wanted by Interpol who were travelling on real Bulgarian passports. The explanation is that the Bulgarian mafia was "working closely with criminal gangs from Russia, Serbia and Italy", the article reads.

According to the source of Die Welt, among the top leaders of Islamic State there are former officers of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's regime trained in the former socialist countries who know very well the way their former colleagues work, 24 Chasa said.

You can find the Die Welt article here.