Bulgaria Police Bust Organized Crime Group in 'Octopus' Special Operation

Bulgaria’s Interior Ministry has detained members of a large-scale organized crime group in Sofia in a special operation codenamed “Octopus” carried out overnight.

Bulgaria’s Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov announced early Wednesday morning that the special operation codenamed “Octopus” started as an inspection of night clubs in Sofia and grew into a full-fledged raid including a number of premises such as homes and offices all around Sofia.

“The “Octopus” special operation has been launched in order to find and arrest the members of an extremely well structured hierarchical organized crime group dealing with blackmailing, racketeering, prostitution, illegal draining of funds from the Kremikovtzi steel plant, drug dealing, money laundering, trading in influence, and a number of other crimes. This organized crime group has been functioning for ten years,” Minister Tsvetanov said.

He made it clear that a number of persons have been arrested without specifying their exact number. Tsvetanov stated that the Octopus special operation was a continuation of “The Impudent” special operation in which 30 men were arrested and 10 of them detained permanently for being part of a high-profile kidnappers’ gang.

The Minister mentioned the name of Anton Petrov, aka the Hamster, who is believed to have been one of the leaders of the kidnappers’ gang, as being involved with the organized crime group busted in the Octopus operation.

The Hamster was released on a BGN 20 000 bail at the end of January 2010. He was not found at the address where he was supposed to be residing, and is currently wanted by the police.

Tsvetanov also mentioned another man nicknamed “The Tractor” with initials A.P. who is among the arrested in the overnight operation. Unconfirmed reports say "The Tractor" is former secret agent Aleksei Petrov.

Men nickmaned as The "Dambovtsi" Brothers who are reported to have been in control of the draining of the Kremikovtzi steel-maker, have also been arrested.

In his words, the operation is still going on all around Sofia including the raiding of premises located in the downtown as well as in the suburbs.

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