site.btaKidnapping Linked to Cocaine Shipment Leads to Arrests in Sofia

Two individuals have been arrested, and a third is on the run, in connection with the kidnapping of two people believed to be linked to an international cocaine trafficking operation. Sofia's Deputy City Prosecutor Ivo Iliev confirmed that one of the detainees faces additional charges after firearms were found during his arrest. While there is no information on the victims' current whereabouts or condition, authorities point out that they have no information of their deaths either.

Chief Commissioner Lyubomir Nikolov of Sofia’s Police Department explained that the kidnapping victims and their abductors were involved in a stolen cocaine shipment passing through Bulgaria on its way to Turkey. The operation is believed to involve organized crime networks.

The victims and one of the suspects met on the outskirts of Sofia before being abducted, and vanished after getting on the same car. 

The case began after a relative of one of the victims reported him missing on January 10. A second tipoff about another missing person came later, and police soon linked the disappearances to the theft of 160 kilograms of cocaine, valued at several million euros.

Authorities identified transport companies involved in the smuggling ring and arrested three suspects. One of the arrested individuals is connected to a company tied to the drug operation. The victims and their captors were responsible for moving the cocaine from Bulgaria to Turkey.

Investigations also led to raids in Plovdiv, the second largest Bulgarian city, targeting transport firms suspected of running international drug trafficking networks.

Regarding the detained suspects, a request for their continued detention will be made in court. The third suspect’s whereabouts remain unknown. All three individuals have criminal records, with previous charges involving drugs and firearms.