I decided to try my luck abroad. In Plovdiv I was a waitress and a barman around the disco clubs. Some people I knew used to offer me to work the same job in Italy, where the payment for this job is much higher. They used to promise me over 500 EURO per month. And I told myself: “This is perfect!”.

In the same time I had the feeling the people that sent me to Italy are hiding something and that not everything they say is hundred percent true. I used to see them with nice cars, expensive cloths, with very beautiful girls. I used to suspect something, but I was not sure… I came to Pescara during the Christmas time in 2001. I was 21-years old.

They drove me to an apartment, where I saw other girls and all of a sudden everything became clear to me. They were dressed like girls from the street – heavily made up and they used to speak very vile words.

But I still could not believe. I still used to expect to work as a barman. I spent the New Year celebration there and a few days after, the girl who was the right hand of the pimp in Italy told me: “You did not come here to work in a bar. You are going on the street!”

“How that on the street!?”, and then I told her a lot of ugly things. I used swear at her. She gave me the telephone saying: “Look, why don’t you speak with the man, let’s he explains to you what the situation is”. But the man from Plovdiv said:

I understood I have no other choice. I used to cry for several days. Then they forced me to go out on the street and I used to work there for 6 months. The girl, who used to supervise us, has been a prostitute in Italy still when she was 15 years old. Barely 19-years old she already was in charge of the pimp’s business.

She used to have a boyfriend – an Italian guy. All day long she use to walk around the coffees and bars, she used to shopping from the boutiques, and used to visit beauticians. She was interested in nothing but the business. This was important – “the business to go well”. I used not to oppose her, in order not to get into troubles. Every blessed day I use to think how to get out of there…

We used to live 4 girls in total in the apartment, but just two of us used to work on the street. The two other served the customers in the apartment. They were in Italy for two or three years, they had Italian boyfriends.

During the day I used to sleep as a dopey, because I used to come in the apartment around 5-6 a.m.

You are going out around 5 p.m. you drink coffee and goes to work…

They wanted me to earn

I’ve never had problems, because I’ve always made this money. Less than a half of this money were for me.

The first time I go out on the seaside street in Pescara together with two more Bulgarians. They told me: “You have to stay here and to do this and that.” I used to look as if I was just felt from the moon. I’ve never expected that something like this could happen to me.

Several weeks after I started to prostitute, I understood I have to relax otherwise I had no chance to endure this nightmare. Black girls, Russians – they all used to make us problems. Almost each and every night we used to have fights with the Albanians for a “working place”. They used to shout at us: “Get away from here, this is our place.” They used to hate us, because we use to take their clients. The pimps from Plovdiv used to tell us if we can not handle with some Albanians we do not worth nothing.

Our clients were mainly Italians. Several times it happened to have clients from Maroco. There was one Bulgarian as well. He was an old one, I did not understand if he knew we are felloe-countrymen…

You have to have very strong nerves. Look – the clients comes, you may not like him at all, but you have to go with him. If you miss him you may stay on the street for two more hours waiting. The fear was in the beginning. You say the client to drive on the left, he goes on the right. He pays double and he buries you with perversions. If you refuse – you will do it again, but by force and they do not pay you.

After 3-4 months though I get used to this and somehow relaxed. I told myself: “What I am afraid from!”

I get used to hit elbows, fists, to grasp for the hair, to kick and to run.

I knew the rap singer Vanko 1 and his cousin from Plovdiv. On the street in Peskara one of them attacked me and beat me to death. Both of them are very alike and I do not know who of them was exactly. He passes by me and all of a sudden he started to kick me. He used to shout at me that I take the clients from their girls. The girl he was talking about was on the next sidewalk, a Bulgarian, but she used to present herself as Greek one.

We were on Porto Turistico in Pescara. This is a long port street, with many yachts on the one side. On the other we were – the girls.

After Vanko or his cousin beat me to death, I ran away from the apartment, because I was afraid and I was crushed from abasement. I used to tremble. I called my pimps in Bulgaria. I told them I can not go back on the street, but they replied: “If you just dare not to go back you will se what will happen.” I came out again on the street.

Our pimps did not appear at all in Italy. They were left us to handle with everything all alone.

I do not want to tell his name, even though here I’m not afraid. I know that and his people are not in the jail, regardless the fact I made a complaint against them in the police. After some time I asked how the things are going. They told me they have not caught them.

The police detained me during “Sofia” operation in Peskara, but not because I prostituted – I was already stopped, but because the validity of my passport was expired. In this action was detained also the other Bulgarian girl I know –

She presented herself for a Turkish girl. After the action my acquaintance and other girls that belonged to the twins never appeared on the street again. Only two of them continued. The two brothers treated their girls very rudely. They used to beat them black and blue and to abuse them sexually. They used to pass by us with their cars watching at us with unfriendly manner, but they’ve never maltreated us. They were short, thickset, blond and slightly swarthy. One of them had a big gold chain on his wrist.

The Bulgarian girls were so much at one time… Most of them were 15-16-years old. Very few of them ran away because from one side they were afraid, but on the other they were attracted by the money. I do not believe the work on the street is pleasant for any girl. It is awfully. Everything is for money.

During the 6 months spent in Peskara Kremena consider how to help herself and to escape. The pimps threat her with troubles. She can not walk even 100 meter alone. They watch her closely all the time. One day together with her friend they decide to escape. They take the money earned during the past night – approximately 1000 EURO and go. The time is around 5-6 a.m.

The pimps have taken their passports. They reach the railway station hijacking. Then they set off for Vienna, again hijacking, where Kremena has a friend. They arrive safely, but they can not stay for long – they do not know the language and they can not start to work nothing. They are forced to go back to Peskara. Over there they are discovered by the pimp at the second night while they are drinking in a bar round about. From the first side enters the girl who used to control the prostitutes, but from the other – a big Bulgarian pan, hired especially for this case. “You either come with us, or we will blow the bar.”, the big pan says. The girls scream for help. The clients flee in disorder. Then the pan bangs Kremena with a fist on the mouth.

A noise is made, the pan and the girl of the pimps run away together. The police comes. They take Kremena to the hospital, where they

The girls have no choice to survive but to testify against their pimps.

“It is not enough the people who forced me to become a prostitute to pay wit their lives for what they’ve done.”, Kremena says with trembling voice. “I want so much they to be punished, because it is their fault 15-16-years old girls to gamble away their lives. I was little older – 21-years old.”

She claims many 14-15-years old girls from Plovdiv have said: I am leaving for France, Spain, Italy. It is not clear how they have passed the border because they are under aged, but the fact is they’ve disappeared from Plovdiv. “But here in Italy I’ve seen many under aged Bulgarian girls on the street.”, Kremena recalls.

After she gives her consent to assist to the police she is put into a commune where she lives up to now.

Kremena receives an proposition from the police to be settled into a foster family especially trained to work with girls with problems. This way she comes to the commune. At these places are bring together people with different kinds of problems – boys and girls without parents, former drug addicted, alcoholics, prostitutes, people with disabilities, emigrants,

Kremena lives together with 15 people. Persons in charge for them are two Italians – a man and a woman. They already have their own three children. They want to take care for more people. They’ve given a shelter to a girl who is blind and dumb. “It is difficult to understand such an attitude in Bulgaria”, Kremena smiles a bitter smile.

They all get up at 6.30 a.m. They pray together, they read the bible, have breakfast and sing. Two former prostitutes from Ukraine and Moldova go to iron at the factory. Kremena and one of the other girls stay at the house. They clean. After that they baby seat the three children – the first one is 3 years-old, the second is 6 and the last one is 8 years-old, who come back from school.

In the afternoon Kremena cooks and cleans again. In 5.30 p.m. she goes to work in a factory where she spends 2 hours and a half. Twice a week she goes to another family and helps the housekeeper. In addition she is a cook in a special center where a meal for hospitals is prepared.

Kremena does not have a boy friend. She believes she will find him. She’ve decide to narrate him all her life. At the present God is Kremena’s biggest love. All her passion is pouring into her prayers.

The business with prostitutes in Plovidv region is almost 100 percent under the control of three main groups – the B. brothers, The Monte Negro guy and the Goat, who is the face of a three letter force structure in the town.

All three groups step in Italy in the beginning. This happens between 1994 and 1998 year. They become stronger independently from one another.

Before to start a private business The Monte Negro guy, who lives in Pazardjik, has been a driver of a famous mafia boss. The same boss is in the prison now after he shoots the DJ in a disco bar, while he has been drunk.

The driver being a good pupil of his boss, leaves for Italy where

From the Bulgarian pimps,

who has established there in the period prior 1989 year. Together with the business with the prostitutes he is also occupied with car thefts and vice versa.

Independently from him with the same activity in Italy are also occupied two brothers from Plovdiv. Later on, especially during the World Soccer Cup they broaden their sphere in France also where they earn up to 3000 EURO per night from one girl.

The business of the pimps from Plovdiv increases significantly when they cooperate with the boss from Pazardjik. They exchange information and contracts, thus broaden their net, scores of new girls are sent to Italy. The outcome comes when the net of the Pazardjik boss is broken up, but he is arrested. In the moment he is under trial, but he is set free pretending to be non-compos. He has piled up capital and immovable properties for more than 10 millions EURO, but at the moment there are no representations for the confiscation of his fortune.

The brothers even are not arrested despite they are announced for a detention by Interpol. Recently they’ve been seen in Plovdiv to drive their cars – Audi. There are also data they are continuing their business, but the police keep a very close watch on them.

In Italy and France the brothers were occupied also with other profitable activities, among which car thefts from EU aiming insurance frauds. Along with the prostitution they’ve used the girls to find proper clients who would be put up to

but their fat compensation to be the insurance of the car. Up to now the property of the two brothers calculates to several millions EURO, but almost everything is on the name of their mother.

The one of the brothers – Lalio by nickname, has a religious marriage with Nasa – the Crazy one. She is a former prostitute, who has helped him to control the business in France and Italy.

Among the Lalio’s ex girls are Marina A. and Marina G. who has left to prostitute in October 1996. At that time the two of them are 16-years old. Maria T. also has prostituted for the two

brothers. She is also known as Micheto, born in Rajevo Konare

village, at that time 27-years old.

It is hardly likely Vanko 1 to have beaten to death Kremena, because in 1997 or 1998 he is prohibited to enter Italy, a source from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.

According to an unofficial information a big boss from the force business in Plovdiv region has paid approximately 250 000 EURO ordering the arrest of Vanko 1. In return of this “investment” the boss has acquired the rapper’s profitable business with girls. Another version says Vanko 1 has worked for criminal businessman in Plovdiv, connected with a three letter force group, owner of hotels and places of public resorts.

The boss, who got Vanko into hot water had the nickname – The Goat. He is illegitimate son of a Bulgarian banker, who recently has passed away. The Goat is the official person of a three letter force structure in Plovdiv.

We have on our disposal the real names of the pimps and the girls.

The boss of the group is Vasil Telbizov, 34 years–old, Colonel Goro Stoitzev, the chief in the local police announces. The group has been active for 4 years, according the boss of a local anti- mafia guys, captain Georgi Grozdanov claims. For this period of time in Bulgaria has been imported and legalized over 10 millions EURO, earned by the girls who prostitute in Western Europe and United Kingdom. “Just for the last 10 months the police has documented the laundry of over one million of EURO.”, captain Grozdanov announced.

The money have been imported in the country by bank transfers, through sales of second hand car, bought abroad and sold in Bulgaria in car park managed by plants. Amounts of money have been imported illegally also by drivers of international buses, who travel to Europe and back. After a certain period of stay in the arrest Vasil Tolebizov is announced non-compos and he is set free. In the beginning of June in Italian resort city Peskara an operation with the secrets name “Sofia” is maintained. An organization occupied with the traffic of women is discovered. A Bulgarian policeman has also been involved, according to the Italian media. The Ministry of Internal Affairs denies this information. 12 Bulgarians are still in jail in Peskara. They are accused of trade with girls, detained by the Italian carabineers on May 31, 2003.