The Bulgarian State Agency for National Security (SANS) has detained five German citizens at Kapitan Andreevo border checkpoint with Turkey on April 12 on suspicions that they are sympathizing with a terrorist organization.
The five Germans, one of them a minor, were travelling from Bucharest to Istanbul by train when they were detained by the forces of SANS and the Ministry of the Interior. In an official statement issued by SANS it was said that they are considered national security threat based on the collected evidence and purpose of their trip.
The four adults were taken into custody for 24 hours and later expulsed from Bulgaria and banned from entering the country again. The minor, who was traveling to Syria to join a terrorist group, was placed in the care of the social services until he was handed over to his father, who arrived from Germany.
SANS confirmed that the behavior of the four adults showed signs of radicalization that are typical for the so called foreign fighters. There is sufficient evidence that they were assisting a terrorist organization active on the territory of Syria and Iraq. The German authorities have banned them from leaving the country in order to prevent them from joining the terrorist group.
