2 Russians Criminals Remain in Bulgaria

Crime | October 17, 2010, Sunday // 16:25|  views

The Special Centre for Temporary Accommodation of Foreigners in Busmantsi is widely known as the Bulgarian Guantanamo. Photo by BGNES

Russian Council in Bulgaria, Artem Barkov, has stated that Bulgaria has notified Russia for the arrest of the criminals Konstantin Tsiganov and Andrei Panpurin, the Russian newspaper Kommersant has reported.

According to the Council, the two were arrested in August. The reason, in his words, was "breaking the law" and in Tsiganov's case it was also "participation in a local crime group."

Barkov has pointed out that since the case was classified in the category "national security," more detailed information could be revealed by the law enforcement authorities in Russia.

It has been earlier announced that on March 18, 2010, the State Agency for National Security (DANS) issued orders for expulsion and bans for entering Bulgarian territory for 10 years for the two Russian criminals.

However, since the orders faced technical obstacles, both have been accommodated in the Bulgarian Special Center for Temporary Accommodation of Foreigners in Busmantsi.

According to unofficial information, the two men deny their identity and do not have valid Russian documents. It is unclear why the consulate of Russia does not issue them documents if it has apparently recognized them.

The Russian Federal Security Service in the Sverdlovsk region has confirmed the arrest of the criminals.

"The information we have said that they have been arrested for illegal acquisition of Bulgarian citizenship and are suspected of extortion on Bulgarian territory," said Anna Lastovetskaya, head of the press service of the Federal Security Service, as reported by Kommersant.

She has stated that the service did not have more detailed information.

The Bulgarian Interior Ministry has told Kommersant that more information could be revealed after the investigation is over.

However, it has not been announced that there was an investigation of Tsiganov and Panpurin on crimes, committed on Bulgarian territory. Officials from DANS have previously stated that the expulsion order was received because they were "threats for the national security."

The Russian newspaper reports that such motive would be used for foreign criminals, caught by Bulgarian police, and not for criminals, suspected of general crimes.

The Bulgarian Supreme Administrative Court has rejected Tsiganov and Panpurin's appeal of their expulsion order.

Lastovetskaya, however, has announced that the expulsion of the two men was not on the agenda at the moment because, in her words, both have been arrested for crimes against the Bulgarian laws.

Tsiganov, however, is searched by the Prosecutor's Office in Russia and the inquiry notice is available on the website of the Russian Interior Ministry.

The law enforcement authorities in Yekaterinburg, however, are not enthusiastic about the return of the former head of the Uralmash crime group and his accomplice.

"They no longer influence the crime situation in the region so their return is under question. Moreover, their expulsion could happen only after they are completely clean according to the Bulgarian laws," officials have stated in an informal conversation, Kommersant reports.

There is no information about Tsiganov and Panpurin receiving any sentence on the charges of participation in a crime group and extortion.

The Bulgarian citizenship that Tsinganov received in 2001 was stripped off it in 2010. Bulgarian legislation does not envision another punishment for declaring false information for Bulgarian origin.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!


Tags: Uralmash, Busmantsi, DANS, State Agency for National Security, Konstantin Tsiganov, Andrei Panpurin, Bulgarian citizenship

Back  

» Related Articles:

Search

Search