site.btaPolice Identifies Person behind Recent Bomb Hoaxes in Sofia

Sofia, January 13 (BTA) - Police has identified the person who over the past few days made several false alerts about explosive devices planted in the Sofia Airport, the National Palace of Culture convention centre currently acting as the hub for the Bulgarian EU Presidency, and about a bomb planted the National Assembly, head of the Sofia Regional Directorate of the Interior, Senior Commissar Ivailo Ivanov, told reporters on Saturday. The person has been identified as a 45-year-old man residing in another EU member state.

The person is known to have made similar alerts some years ago about explosives planted in Bulgarian facilities and in various EU institutions.

In Bulgaria he has been an object of pre-trial proceedings for the same offence.

Ivanov said that he is being tracked down to be detained.

The person made three alerts about bombs planted in the Sofia Airport, two about explosive devices in the National Palace of Culture and one about an explosive in the National Assembly. No such devices were found.

The offence carries a prison sentence and a fine of between 10,000 leva and 20,000 leva.