Bulgarian PM Lands in Sliven over Bank Robbery and Hostage Crisis

Sliven police are pictured besieging an armed robber who took hostages in a local bank branch shortly after he unsuccessfully tried to rob it. A SWAT team and senior police officials plus Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov arrived on the spot later. Photo by Bulp

Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borisov arrived in the Eastern city of Sliven at around 4 am on Thursday, where an armed robber is holding 6 hostages at gunpoint.

The robbery in the local branch of Investbank was attempted at about 4 pm on Wednesday by an armed man whose identity is still unknown. He shot one of the security guards, who was taken to hospital in a critical condition.

An employee of the bank managed to trigger a panic button, and the police arrived shortly on the spot, followed by a SWAT team, which led the robber to take hostage 6 bank employees.

There was an intermittent shootout from about 4 pm till 7 pm between the robber and the police units. The heavily armed police that arrived on the spot later brought special equipment as well as plans of the bank building.

There have been conflicting reports about the robber – including that he was a Turkish citizen from Varna, a local drug addict, and a 66-year-old. The latest reports as of early Thursday morning say that he is a young man, an orphan, working as a security guard for a local firm.

Around 10 pm, the kidnapper released one of the hostages Radina Terzieva, a bank crediting expert; at 5 am he released two more hostages - accountant Ivelina Ivanova and cashier Mimi Velichkova. Two more cashiers - Vanya Dimitrova and Svetlana Atanasova, and the second security guard Dimitar Mitkov - remain held at gun point.

Shortly before he released the hostage, the robber received a bottle of a soft drink, and a pack of cigarettes that he asked for.

His major demand has been for the police to provide him with a safe passage. According to the police, he tried to stage a very "professional" robbery. Bulgaria's Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov said the safety of the hostages was the major concern of the police.

The branch of Investbank is located opposite the building of the District Administration of Sliven, and it is where the District Administration holds its money. According to District Governor Marin Kavrakov, the state money held in the branch is about BGN 1 M, which was supposed to go for salaries of the entire local administration and local employees on state payroll such as teachers and doctors.

Subsequent reports said the life of the shot security guard has been saved in the local hospital.

Investbank is owned by Festa Holding Jsc (72%) and Bulgarian businesswoman Petya Slavova in her personal capacity (21%), who is herself the owner of Festa Holding. Investbank's capital is about BGN 90 M. Petya Slavova is often mentioned as the richest woman in Bulgaria.

A VIDEO of the hostage crisis in Sliven VIEW HERE