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Disguised in camouflage and balaclavas, and equipped with long knives, bayonets and hatchets, the paramilitary troops hunt down refugees and migrant in Strandzha Massif, a forested mountain range, Bulgaria, on the Turkish border. Patches on their uniforms – a coat of arms displaying a snarling wolf’s head framed by Cyrillic text – declare they are members of the Bulgarian National Movement Shipka, abbreviated as “BNO Shipka”. The group are led by Vladimir Rusev, a former colonel who claims he fought in Chechnya as a volunteer alongside Russians. Speaking to NBC News, the 58-year-old claims BNO Shipka have as many as 50,000 members in their ranks, however, this figure is unverifiable.

NBC A group of armed vigilantes are patrolling the Bulgarian-Turkish border to keep migrants out

We are protecting the united borders of southern Europe and the European Union Vladimir Rusev

He added: “At the moment, we are the only defence Europe has. “We are the only ones doing something. We’re not just protecting Bulgaria, we are protecting the united borders of southern Europe and the European Union.” Nikolai Ivanov, one of the group’s founding members, said: “I’m not nationalistic or anything like that. I’m just a patriot. “Many of these immigrants are not just some guys who are trying to run away from war. They are from age 17 to 35, with good physiques and training.

NBC They release elaborate training videos to promote their patrols

“It’s not a problem that they are Muslims. The problem is it’s a different civilisation. They don’t think like us, they have a totally different view about life, about everything.” The 34-year-old proclaims his beliefs the European migrant crisis was part of a plan to allow ISIS militants to slip into the Continent and allow them to attack. The BNO Shipka member adds the crisis also allows Turkish troops to be deployed in Bulgaria, under the Nato banner, effectively reclaiming a portion of the lost Ottoman Empire. The group, despite facing stiff opposition from human rights groups, claim they act within the law, and have unofficial support from Bulgaria’s official border patrols. Krassimir Kanev, a founder of human rights group Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, describes BNO Shipka as xenophobic nationalists who are violent, racist extremists.

GOOGLE They patrol the mountain forests on the border

Migrant Crisis: Mass exodus from the migrant camp continues Tue, October 25, 2016 Hundreds of migrants are continuing to arrive in Europe as they flee the scenes of chaos and brutality of the Islamic State in the Middle East. Play slideshow 1 of 224