A 36-year-old driver from Samokov was arrested after allegedly attempting to bribe police officers during a roadside inspection on the Trakia Highway near Karnobat. The incident took place at around 7:30 a.m. near the 325th kilometer in the direction of Burgas, after authorities received reports about a car with Kyustendil registration being driven erratically. Officers dispatched to the scene stopped the vehicle for a routine inspection.
According to Chief Inspector Nikolay Angelov, head of the Karnobat Regional Police Department, the driver refused to undergo both alcohol and drug testing. "The colleagues identified the driver and explained that he would be tested for alcohol and drugs, but he refused. They also informed him about the serious administrative consequences of such a refusal," Angelov said in an interview with bTV.
He explained that under Bulgarian law, a first refusal to undergo testing results in an administrative penalty, including the suspension of the driver's license and a fine of 2,000 leva, or roughly 1,000 euros. "If there is a repeated refusal, pre-trial proceedings are initiated and criminal prosecution follows," Angelov noted.
After officers informed the man of the penalties, they gave him another opportunity to comply with the tests. Instead, according to police, he attempted to persuade them to abandon the inspection by offering money. "He first said he wanted to give the two officers 500 euros so they would not test him for alcohol," Angelov said.
