Following a signal of extortion, an organized criminal group has been detained. It had been operating at the highest levels in the fight against drug trafficking since the beginning of 2017, the spokesperson of the Chief Prosecutor, Siika Mileva, said.

The country's international prestige has been marred because three of the accused cooperated with the services of Schengen, Interpol and the EU and were responsible for the failure of domestic and international operations.

Two of the detainees are senior officials in the fight against organized crime in drug trafficking. In return for bribes, they provided protection for criminal groups. They also took money to neutralize competitors in the drug market, Mileva said.

The arrests led to resignations at the Ministry of Interior. More can be found here.