GLAVNA DIREKTSIA BORBA S ORGANIZIRANATA PRESTUPNOST

Their core work

Bulgaria's Chief Directorate for Combating Organised Crime (GDBOP) is the national law enforcement agency responsible for investigating and disrupting organized crime networks, including cybercrime, human trafficking, child sexual exploitation, and terrorism. In H2020 projects, they contribute real-world operational expertise, criminal intelligence workflows, and end-user validation for tools developed by research consortia. Their role is that of a practitioner partner — they test and evaluate prototype technologies against actual law enforcement needs and provide domain knowledge that shapes tool development.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their early H2020 involvement (2018) centered on predictive intelligence tools — spatial-temporal prediction, deep learning, OSINT, and knowledge management for counter-terrorism and organized crime. By 2021, the focus shifted toward cybercrime, digital forensics, victim protection, and building practitioner networks for standardised innovation uptake. This evolution mirrors the broader European law enforcement pivot from terrorism-focused security research toward cybercrime and online exploitation.

Moving from technology-consumer toward active participation in law enforcement standardisation networks, suggesting growing interest in shaping how security tools are adopted across Europe.

How they like to work

GDBOP participates exclusively as a consortium partner, never as coordinator — consistent with their role as an end-user agency rather than a research institution. They operate in large consortia (72 unique partners across 4 projects), which means they are well-connected but not driving the research agenda. For potential partners, this signals a reliable practitioner voice that brings operational credibility and real-world validation to security research proposals.

Despite only 4 projects, GDBOP has built connections with 72 unique partners across 29 countries, reflecting the large-consortium nature of EU security research. Their network spans nearly all EU member states and likely includes other national police agencies, Europol-linked bodies, and security technology developers.

What sets them apart

As Bulgaria's primary organized crime directorate, GDBOP offers something most academic or industrial partners cannot: direct operational experience with cross-border crime in a Southeast European context. Bulgaria's geographic position on EU external borders makes GDBOP particularly relevant for projects addressing trafficking routes, cybercrime networks operating across EU-non-EU boundaries, and security challenges specific to the Balkans corridor. They are one of the few Bulgarian law enforcement bodies active in H2020 security research.

Highlights from their portfolio

• COPKIT
  Most technically ambitious project — combined deep learning, OSINT, and spatial-temporal prediction for early-warning policing against organized crime and terrorism.
• HEROES
  Directly addresses child sexual exploitation and human trafficking with digital forensic tools — a sensitive, high-impact area where practitioner input is essential.
• CYCLOPES
  Longest-running project (2021-2026) and a CSA (Coordination & Support Action), signaling GDBOP's role in building pan-European law enforcement networks rather than just consuming tools.