Bulgarian Drug Lord Arrested in Overnight Police Raid

Bulgaria's new center-right government is taking steps to root out the corruption and organized crime that have affected the country for years through a series of police raids and arrests. Photo by Sofia Photo Agency

A former bodyguard of notorious Roma boss Kiril Kirov, who was shot down in downtown Sofia five years ago, has been arrested in an overnight police operation, the interior minister announced.

"Vlado Komara (the Mosquito) was caught with half a kilogram of amphetamines in his car,“ Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov said Thursday morning.

The man has a criminal record for burglaries, racketeering and blackmail.

Bulgaria's new center-right government is taking steps to root out the corruption and organized crime that have affected the country for years.

In February heavily armed anti-terror police burst into homes, bars and strip-joints to arrest 14 alleged members of a powerful crime gang in an operation, named "Octopus". They are suspected of extortion, drug trafficking, money laundering and tax fraud.

The raid was followed by another, code-named “The Fakirs”, which targeted car thieves. Along with “The Fakir” operation, the police also carried out a raid against members of the so-called strong-arm groups, who are believed to be involved in contract murders.

In one of the latest raid of Bulgaria's police against organized crime groups, code-named “The Untouchables", sixteen people were arrested.

The operation targeted suspect members of a group for money laundering and tax crimes, which have incurred huge losses to the state.

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