Bulgarian authorities see illegal attempts to destabilize banking system

Bulgarian authorities on Friday saw illegal attempts to destabilize country's banking system amid queues of people trying to withdraw their money from cash desks.
Bulgarian Interior Minister Tsvetlin Yovchev told reporters that there has been an attack through the Internet and text messages via mobile phones to massively disturb people.
"We have found malicious and deliberate attempts to destabilize the banking system, and an investigation has been carried out in this direction since yesterday," Yovchev said.
This is an extremely serious crime and people who engage in such activity will suffer severe punishment, he added.
Meanwhile, Ivan Iskrov, governor of the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) said in a statement that Bulgarian banking system has a good performance and is functioning smoothly, but in the last days an attempt is made to destabilize the country through organized attack on Bulgarian banks without any reason.
"Such criminal acts are directly directed against the savings of every Bulgarian citizen and against financial stability as an essential element of national security," he said.
BNB explicitly states that it will use all its means and resources to ensure people's savings, Iskrov said.
In turn, Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev "strongly condemned sustained efforts to destabilize the banking system" and urged citizens "not to succumb to rumors and speculation."
"Bulgarian banking system is well capitalized and regulated and enjoys the trust of international markets," he said according to a press release sent by his press office.