It isn't often we report on a piece of news from Bulgaria. Aside from the Corvette-powered Sin R1 RS supercar, Bulgaria isn't really the first—or fifth, or tenth—country you'd think of when you hear supercars mentioned. People in Bulgaria do buy sports cars and luxury cars, but a recent report has indicated Bulgarians may not want to drive them around unless they're willing to risk being pulled over. France24 reports Bulgaria's police force has pulled over numerous vehicles from five brands, including Maybach, Bentley, Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce and Ferrari.
Bulgaria's chief prosecutor has ordered these checks to ensure the cars were purchased with legitimate funds. Chief prosecutor spokeswoman Rumyana Arnaudova told journalists, "The aim of the checks is to determine the origin of the money for purchasing these vehicles and if it came as a result from tax fraud or money laundering." The spokeswoman didn't say why those five brands in particular were chosen, only that "their price is extremely high." You hear that shady Bulgarian tax evaders? Just drive around the country in a Koenigsegg or a Pagani instead; the police should leave you alone.
Besides luxury-car owners, the searches impact 245 people who acquired real estate worth over 250,000 euros ($310,000) in 2015 or 2016 and 120 owners of apartments and houses that cost over 400,000 euros. These searches will continue for about three months before prosecutors need to produce their results. "It is totally possible for these people to prove that their money is legal," Arnaudova said. If you do fancy visiting Bulgaria, make sure you leave your Bentley Flying Spur at home and rent a Moskvitch instead.
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