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A large illegal extraction of aggregates from the bed of the Struma river has been discovered on the lands of the town of Drangovo, municipality of Petrich, announced the Ministry of Environment and Water (MoEW).
Extraction of aggregate material from river beds in Bulgaria is prohibited, the ministry said in a statement.
There were several heavy trucks and excavators on the site. Near the riverbed a fadroma and a truck with wet inert material were found. A large quantity (about 2-3 thousand cubic meters) of deposited material was found in the neighboring town of Ruzhdak. The river has been illegally blocked with dikes and there are also sections with swamps. This creates a risk of flooding, which includes affecting a neighboring country, as the river is transboundary, the MoEW said in a statement.
See photos of the illegal extraction site >>
The action was ordered by the Supreme Administrative Prosecutor’s Office and involved the economic police, the gendarmerie, Minister Emil Dimitrov, experts and directors of the West Aegean Basin Directorate and the MoEW Water Management Directorate.
From the information collected so far, it appears that several companies are involved in illegal extraction on the territory of two municipalities in the Blagoevgrad region. Specialized teams inspect the riverbed on the section from Petrich to Kulata.
Pre-trial proceedings have started in the case. Investigative actions continue as MoEW bodies provide full cooperation.
