Bulgarian Police Capture Mastermind of 'Impudent' Kidnap Gang

Five months after the initial crackdown on the Impudent kidnappers gang, the Bulgarian police have captured its alleged mastermind. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria’s police have arrested Valentin Yanev, who is believed to be the mastermind of the “Impudent” gang of high-profile kidnappers.

Valentin Yanev, aka Valyo Boretsa (i.e. “The Wrestler”), had been wanted since the police cracked down on the gang responsible for 13 abductions for ransom in December 2009.

The main evidence against Yanev is a trace of his DNA found on the body of Rumen Guninski Jr., the son of businessman Rumen Guninski who was kidnapped in the fall of 2009 and was released 40 days later for EUR 620 000 in ransom.

The Wrestler is also suspected of having a connection with the so called Octopus organized crime group busted in February 2010, whose leader is believed to be former secret agent Aleksei Petrov. The police think Yanev might be the second connection between the Octopus group and the Impudent gang in addition to Anton Petrov, aka “The Hamster”.

In addition to the kidnappings, Valentin Yanev is thought to be responsible for several murder, including of the abduction and murder of another criminal, Kiril Bozhilov, “The Gypsy”.

The 37-year-old Yanev is considered the mastermind of the Impudent gang; a total of 30 men and women were arrested in December 2009 as part of the gang. Subsequently, only 5 top criminals were left behind bars.

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