Three Members of Infamous Bulgarian Gang 'Naglite' Vanish, Only Phones and Cars Left Behind

Three members of the notorious Bulgarian kidnapping gang known as "Naglite" (The Insolent Ones) - Prokopi Prokopiev, known as Kulturista, Ivaylo Evtimov, nicknamed Yozhi, and Daniel Dimitrov, called Dancho Releto - have vanished without a trace. Their disappearance was reported by relatives on August 12, prompting police to launch a search. So far, only their vehicles and mobile phones have been recovered, and investigators are examining them for possible clues, according to "24 Chasa".

The trio had previously been convicted for a series of kidnappings carried out by the "Naglite" gang before 2010. In 2013, they received 18-year prison sentences, the only ones convicted for those abductions, although a total of 18 individuals had been detained in connection with the case. They, along with fellow member Lyubomir Dimitrov, known as Lyubo Grebetsa, who remains imprisoned for two murders linked to other associates, were released early. Two additional members had been sentenced for lesser offenses but not for kidnappings.

During their criminal activity, the gang was linked to 11 successful kidnappings and one attempted abduction. Their victims were typically wealthy heirs or business figures, including Iliyan Tsanev, Mehmed Chakar, Mihail Kraus, Georgi Markov, Venislav Velichkov, Angel and Kamelia Bonchevi, and Kiro Kirov. They also attempted to abduct a lower-profile individual, a car thief, but failed. Ransom payments were never fully recovered.

After their release, Yozhi and Kulturista largely avoided the public eye, while Releto continued to commit car thefts and was repeatedly detained by the Sofia Police. Prior to their kidnapping activities, all gang members were involved in car-related crimes.

Earlier this month, on August 8, 39-year-old Dimitar Valkanov, another former associate of the "Naglite" gang and involved in the kidnapping of two Sofia residents alongside brothers Mitko and Radoslav Lebeshkovski, surrendered to Sofia police. He was detained for 72 hours. Unofficial reports indicate that Valkanov had informed his lawyer of his willingness to cooperate with law enforcement.

The "Наглите" gang, as they are known in Bulgarian, operated during 2008–2009 and became infamous for their violent kidnappings, demanding ransoms of hundreds of thousands of euros. They were known to mutilate victims’ fingers if payments were delayed or insufficient. A police operation in December 2009 led to the arrest of more than 25 individuals across several cities.

Victims were kept blindfolded, ensuring they could not identify the perpetrators. Nine gang members faced trial in 2010. By April 2012, and reconfirmed by the Supreme Court of Cassation in 2014, four were convicted for a total of eight kidnappings and one attempted abduction. Three received 18-year prison sentences, and one was sentenced to ten years.