Published at January 2002

By Stanimir Vaglenov

A meager-case against Bulgarian car Mafia had started at the end of the last year. This happened for the first time in the history of our court system, learned "24 hours" daily.
Three prosecutor’s offices in the same time are rendering accounts of it – Regional in Sofia, Appellate and Supreme Cassation. In this case are investigated the activity of the major part of the organized groups and channels, passing through Bulgaria. Formally the reason provoked this case is defeating the channel for stolen cars in the beginning of the last year. Then with participation of the Secretary General of the Ministry of the Internal Affairs Boyko Borisov several strokes was made on the structures of the car Mafia in Plovdiv and the region, Stara Zagora and Varna. 7 persons were arrested and 15 cars detained. Other 11 cars were examined completely. 
6 months prior after this occasion, "24 hours" daily alarmed Supreme Cassation Prosecutors office for the so-called "Canadian Channel" for stolen cars.
Together with Christa Ericson from Canadian public TV "CBC" we required a verification for the progress of the cases connected with the thefts of Canadian automobiles, mainly in Quebec province, with participation of Bulgarians. It proved that the cases were in dead-end street.  
It provoked the interest of the Supreme Cassation Prosecutors office and by order of deputy district attorney Hristo Manchev a check up of all bigger cases for car thefts started. The results for a serial time were horrific – there are no even one case against car thieves which is taken to the end, respectively there aren’t any punished and the thefts continue. After the action in December against the car Mafia Prosecutor’s Office added the check-up connected with the previous cases to the received new facts and that was the way this mega- case was formed. Till its finish an investigating secret was putted on it. That’s why in several serial issues we will present to the readers of "24 hours" daily only with the information we collected for the case.

 
We start from Karlovo because in this region is based one of the little well organized structures of the car Mafia which is active long before 1989.
By this reason it is not consisted from a wrestlers or other exotic muzzles. Her backbone is experienced recidivists like 41-years old F.N. /we use initials because we do not want to stand in the way of the investigators and for bigger security, of course/. For F.N. it is known that he has a property in Smolyan region, where he hides part of the stolen cars. Very famous are his contacts with Dancho "The wheel rim" from one of the Danube customs, as well. He helped him to import part of the stolen vehicles. For the authorities, his connections with corrupted caps before 1989, are not a secret. Above the activity of F.N. and the car mafia as a whole there is a srtong umbrella, holded with the help of superior policemen servants and politics from Plovdiv region.    
About the Karlovo Group for the first time stir had caused during the summer of 1993. In this times her representatives stoke near Graf Ignatievo village with Plovdiv mugs from the force group "777". In the firing the former policeman and present private detective K.P. took the side of the Karlovo group. 
The problem arises, because the owners of the stolen car at the same time alarms the police and make an order with the private force group  "777". The policeman first discovers the car and makes a deal with Karlovo men to send it back for ransom and to give him a percentage from the deal. Meanwhile from "777" get to the car and starts a scrimmage.
One of the Karlovo rifles is N.M. with the nickname "Buzyo". A case has started against him for this occasion, he is announced for investigation, but there is no data to be convicted. 
The policeman-rifle is detained, but lately is set at liberty and the case against him is canceled. He even succeeds to convict the state. Now he is completely involved with the business of sending back stolen cars for ransom for about 2000-3000 DM each. In 1995 the Karlovo group works closely with big force group VIS 2, under the patronage of a colonel from the Plovdiv Police. Even now the Balkan town remains the main stop in the route of stolen cars passing through EU-Bulgaria-Karlovo-Varna-Odessa-Novorosiisk, using the ferry Chechnia-Afganistan.  

On 8th of December police confiscated from the garages of two native citizens three cars "Mercedes" and one "Audi A8" to check the vehicles. 37-years old Y.S. and 27-years old I.K. are detained reported  Regional Police Service in Plovdiv.
"24 hours" ascertained that this is all about the Karlovo citizens Yonko Simeonov and Ivan Kolev. There is no data they to have criminal files or some illegal activities in the past. The police confiscate a full set technique and materials for preparation of false West European register checks and car signs. Already made false register checks and car signs were discovered. 
During the parallel police operation, from a service station near Banya village, are taken away 4 cars for check-up.
"24 hours" found out that the service station is located in the garages of an ex-hotel building, which had been privatized. According to acquaint persons, the real owners are patronized by a force-group based in Sofia, but the big profits were from "the garage", not from the hotel.
A day later, on 9th of December, during a police examination in Karlovo of a Mercedes car, driven from Plamen T. from Sopot, had been found that the front car sign belongs to a different vehicle, and the back car sign remained unsettled. This case provoked rapid legal procedure.  
During the same operation the caps attack an automobile exhibition room in Plovdiv, where they examine the documents of seven more cars.

The mechanism of the business with stolen cars in Bulgaria most commonly is as follows – at the first line are pushed the persons, which establish legal structures. Dirty money is implanted there and finally unreal high profits are reported and this legalizes the funds.
Except the money laundry this scheme makes the handiness, that in public space at first glance appear reputable businessmen, often owners of places of amusement, automobile exhibition rooms and service stations. In this role they can afford themselves "protection" by a policeman, or even prosecutors. 
As a rule the business with stolen cars could bring a lot of money only if is organized from "Mafia group" and is connected with drugs.
The Bulgarian car thieves are just part of the basic tour of the traffic in the line European Union – Bulgaria – Chechnia – Afghanistan. By this axis all kinds of stolen vehicles are transported: expensive cars, jeeps for the bandits in Chechnia and Afghanistan, "Lada"-s imported duty free in Russia and ex-Soviet Republics and so on.  
The payment of stolen cars is engagement of Chech guys, and they arrange the deals mainly against drugs. The white dust comes back by the same tour. In this chain the tour from Bulgaria to Western Europe is under control mainly of Albanian Mafia.
It is not a secret that with that funds from stolen cars are financed, to some extent, the wars in Chechnia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Macedonia. According to the operative information in 1995 in Plovdiv comes Chech commander Salman Raduev intending to buy arms from "Arsenal" mill.  There is no information whether he is finalized the deal or not, but the fact is that famous car thief from Plovdiv had been his guide in pubs and prostitute houses in the town.
This explains the specific interest of Russian Special Services to Bulgaria in 1999 and 2000. According to trustful resources, by order of the president Putin the channels for financing the Chech rebels are attacked. The direction of the traffic toward Chechnia and Afghanistan was actually before the force intervention of Russians and Americans against the world terrorism. Now the scheme has changed, but this does not means that the car thefts have stopped.
In the previous part of the investigation we described the actions of the Karlovo car thieves Group. Frequently they act together with their colleagues from Plovdiv.

The main connection in Plovdiv of the Karlovo Group is the owner of car exhibition center round Asenovfrad shoes Z.R.
The chief coordinator of the business with stolen cars in the Town of Hillocks after 1996 is B.G. He became more experienced in the business in the last few years. B.G. is an ex-first sergeant.
In 1998 Z.P. has been bothered several times from policemen in Plovdiv, but only until he starts to pay them. At the same time, as well, corrupted policemen trouble Sh.V., also. He is a representative in Plovdiv of a shoted later boss of the unlegal manufacturing of false CD`s Emil Dimitrov – Makarona. Sh.V. did not pay for the pirate CD`s made in Plovdiv.   
In order to force him, the cups mention the facts that at his parking there are stolen cars. With a big and noise police action they arrest him. After this follows agreement for the monthly amount that he has to pay and he is released without any trouble and without a word. 
As a whole the business of the car thieves could not exist without the active patronize of a corrupted policemen and legislators. Flowing of information to car Mafia groups forced National Police Servise and National Service for Fight with the Organized Criminality in December to attack the channel for stolen cars a few day priors the settled date. The Director of a National "Police" Service general-major Vassil Vassilev announced this. 
Up to this moment coordinator from Plovdiv B.G. has 4 restaurants in Italy, according to information from special services. Sh.V. builds new automobile exhibition room at "Petersburg" Blvd. According to trustful sources they both even are some like helpers of the police in its fight with car thefts. Actually they do exactly the same. 
The business with corrupted policemen, who protect him, goes well. For this purpose there is a special scheme for extortion. Imported stolen car is registered with the help of attendants who drive it for a while and then is sold to a third person. The mugger already has taken the money. And then suddenly appears the information that the car is stolen, never mind in Bulgaria or abroad. The corrupted policeman confiscates the vehicle and starts to torment with demands for bribe the buyer.   
Many of the victims prefer instead of waiting many years to conclude cases for returning their cars, to pay the wanted amount and to be left in peace. Others do not succumb to the blackmail and look for their rights. "The car cases, we collected, are full of complaints of people who want their cars back", informed for Supreme Cassation Prosecutor’s Office upon request of "24 hours" daily.  

The organizer of the channel in Varna is Maryan I., has been announced  after the action of National Service for Fight with the Organized Criminality in December. The check-up revealed that he has been in a German prison for car thefts. Because he knows that his name had entered in the computer base data of the European border services, after his returning in Bulgaria, he had taken the chance, given by the low and had changed his names with verdict. He issued new identification documents, too.
"24 hours" ascertained that the old name of Varna car guru is Ivan Nedev Ivanov, owner of a private firm "Mimoza –Y-Y". After his renaming he becomes Marian Nedev Ivanov who registers "Focus-M" Ltd. In him car exhibition room policemen found stolen cars. For the Mercedes and the Citroen Ivan-Marian explained that he had taken them on leasing. For the rest of the stolen cars he said in court that they are just left in his car exhibition room to be sold. A court of appeal in Varna refused to change his punishment – to be under arrest. Our investigation revealed that operation of changing the names lasts about 2 months. After that the theft is a citizen with clear file again, according to Bulgarian and foreign legislation. An absence of control in this activity helps the car thieves, as well as the criminal society as a whole.   
The basic objects of the traced trans-border channel for stolen cars had worked in Varna, noticed colonel Vesselin Petrov, director of the Regional Direction of the Ministry of the Internal Affairs after the stroke in December.  
According to the boss of National Service for Fight with the Organized Criminality Rumen Milanov to the stolen cars a new series numbers have been made – of the cars existing in Europe. By this way they become their duplicates and make difficult its tracing down.  
Everything has been secured with the false documents, stickers and car signs. A printing base where they were made had been discovered. Similar scandal exploded with the jeep, sold to Ministry of the Economy from World Trade Center "Ilientzy". This jeep was driven for a long time from Ministers Vassil Vassilev and Peter Jotev. When the new power holders in the state attempt to sell this jeep, had appeared doubts about the register numbers of the vehicle and that it has twin in Canada.

Only for a month Ministry of Internal Affairs shows, that it has enough power to destroy the car Mafia in Bulgaria. The police attack with the defeating the channel for stolen cars coming from Western Europe starts on 8th of December. The attack begun 4 days before the term set, because the police cough out that among them there is an informer who help and work for the bandits.
Check up to policemen, custom servants and all kinds of state servants has started, they had been questioned, announced then Director of National Service for Fight with the Organized Criminality Rumen Milanov. 
The operation had been conducted with the help of information given from Spanish, German and Turkish police.
The contraband channel existed at the territory of Regional Direction of the Ministry of the Internal Affairs in Varna, Stara Zagora, Plovdiv, Karlovo, Veliko Turnovo, Pazardjik and Rousse. The cars moved through the channel had been stolen mainly in Spain and after that had been based in Germany, announced the press-center of Ministry of Internal Affairs. 
The vehicles are imported in Bulgaria with prepared false documents and car signs. They are mostly of last makes of "Audi", "BMW" and "Mercedes". Part of the imported cars are resold to Bulgarian citizens, others are exported through Bulgarian-Turkish border and forwarded to Gruzia, Armenia and other countries of ex-Soviet Union and Close East.   
According to the first information from policemen, through this channel had past more than 30 cars from the above mentioned makes. According to Milanov to the stolen cars new series and manufacture numbers had been made, which belongs to a real existing cars in Europe, and by this way they became their twin-cars, in view its tracing to be made more difficult. Everything had been assured with false documents, stickers and car sign. A printing base where they were made had been discovered.
After the attack on car Mafia at the student holiday, new actions in other spheres followed. Police discovers the luxury cars during check-up in a private store in the industrial zone in Vratza on 10th of January. A luxury "Audi" sport model manufactured in 2001 and "Audi A6" – without register numbers and with false manufacturing and series numbers or with changed numbers of the engine. The owners of the store claimed that the good had been left in their place only for preserving. 
A day after, in Pernik, over 50 objets are checked for cars with unsettled origin. 6 car markets, 7 objects for car hiding, parkings, workshops, garages and village yards have been inspected. In Regional Direction of the Ministry of the Internal Affairs in Pernik have been detained two private cars "BMW" and "Honda Civic", which computer data do not matched to the register documents and attempts for deleting of letters and figures from the frame was discovered. 9 questionable cars are discovered in a private market hall close to "Stomana" mill. Cars without ownership documentation have been discovered in a private car markets "Fortuna" and "Hemi". Representatives of Ministry of Internal Affairs close those car markets.
At the same day National Service for Fight with the Organized Criminality in Sofia, congenially with Regional Direction of the Ministry of the Internal Affairs in Shoumen captured criminal band, who managed to deceive citizens with more than 50 000 lv. It became clear that the boss of the band Yordan is an ex-prisoner in Germany, where he had been convicted for similar crimes, for unlegal traffic of people and cars. Other man from the same group – Plamen, from his part was connected with the shoted Ivo Karamanski during his stay in Hungary in 1991. At this time the godfather was occupied exactly with unlegal car traffic.
On 13th of January in the region of Petrich and Sandanski a police action is conducted. The goal is to be settled wanted cars and suspected criminals connected with the highway’s robberies in Kuistendil and Blagoevgrad districts. During the operation two villages and main road E-79 are blocked, 824 cars, three car exhibition rooms, and car morgue checked-up, the police sources reported. One person had been arrested and one car had been announced for national investigation.       
New attacks on car Mafia structure at the territory of other regional directions of Ministry of Internal Affairs are expected. 
 

To what extend the car Mafia has entangled in his nets the state became clear around the scandal with the "Mercedes Jeep ML239", used by Minister of Commerce Velentin Vassilev and ex-vice Prime Minister Peter Jotev.
The luxury dark green vehicle most probably is stolen, announced on a press conference the Chief Secretary of Ministry of Economy Milen Keremedchiev. This happened few days after 8th of December, when started the attack of Ministry of Internal Affairs on car Mafia all around the country.
 

The car is a gift to the administration from World Trade Center "Ilientzy", who buy it from car market "Sofafto" in 1998. The scandal erupts when the new power-holders try to sell the jeep. Candidate buyers mention that the frame and engine numbers are remade. It was discovered that the jeep has its twin in Canada with the same frame and engine numbers. 
It is not clear how in the Ministry had knew those details. Mr. Keremedchiev refused to specify to "24 hours" who has given him this information. After the scandal from Ministry of Internal Affairs made a check-up of the vehicle and announced that the expertise would be ready in two days. Till this very moment around this case there is not given no official information.  
Unofficially from the press-center of Ministry of Internal Affairs mentioned that the investigation continues and Bulgarian police works together with his Canadian colleagues. From the Supreme Casasion Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that there is a court order to Canada in connection with started mega-case against the car Mafia structures.
"24 hours" contacted the boss of "Sofafto" Toni Zlatkov, who has sealed the jeep. He claims that probably a mistake had happen, because the car was imported regularly and imposed custom duty on it in Bulgaria. 
Mr. Zlatkov had connected the "Carfax" agency in USA, from where send him an origin report for the jeep. The report reveals that the vehicle has number 4JGAB54E3WA010280 (it does not clear whether this number is on the frame or engine) and is made in 1998. He is bought from "South-West car market" in USA, and then delivered to Bulgaria. The car has clear documentation, and there aren’t discovered any other problems, the report says. "Carfax" however makes the specification that they didn’t inspected that car and it would be possible problems to emerge, which are not presented as an information.

According to Christa Ericson, journalist from Canadian Public TV CBC, the check-up made from local authorities continues. Up to now the Canadians refuse information concerning the case, assured "24 hours".
Canadian police, for sure, investigates the case with high attention, because the Bulgarian connection in the channel with Canadian stolen cars is not a precedent.

Up to this very moment two channels for stolen cars from Canada with Bulgarian connection, had been defeated. The first net is revealed in Canada and for this case informs the local newspaper "Globe and mail" in March 2000. The channel however probably has acted long before this, because in June 1998 Bulgarian policemen trace the signs of Bulgarian car thieves from Quebec province. Then in Bulgaria had been detained 12 cars with false documents, 8 more had been discovered without documents, but with Canadian origin. Most of the cars had been already sold to two Sofia car markets. For some of the cars buyer gave 
prepayment of
30 000 US dollars. 

Part of the cars coming through Canadian channel had been prepared for selling in ex-Soviet Republics, the police find. This happens in Varna, from where there is a ferry connection with Ukraine, Gruzia and other ex-Soviet Republics. 
The damages caused by "the Canadian group" Bulgarian car thieves are for more 

than 600 000 US dollars

Then National Service for Fight with the Organized Criminality announced that the man organizer of the channel is 41-years old Hristo Ivanov Iliev – Bulgarian, who emigrates in 70`s in Canada. After the fall of the totalitarity regime in Bulgaria in 1989 he comes back in the country and starts to live in Sofia, gets married to Bulgarian woman, who up to the moment of the police operation continues to live in Canada. Her name is not mentioned from the police.   
Before his emigration in Canada Iliev has been convicted three times in Bulgaria for thefts. After the police operation in 1998 he is announced for total national investigation, but till this moment there are no data he to be detained. Examination in Bulgarian Business Register reveals that on behalf of his name is registered a firm in June 1996. The firm is active up to this moment and is occupied with import and export trade activity, trade, traveling and load transportation. It is registered in a small town near Sofia, popular with higher concentration of criminal elements.
In both defeated channels in Canada, mainly stolen luxury jeeps have been found. Among the stolen jeeps there are luxury limousines makes  "Mercedes", "Volvo", "FW" and "Chrysler" – totally 20 car in number. The police investigation discovers that the cars 

are stolen 
from a prestigious 
car exhibition centers   

in Quebec and after then 3 containers are loaded on ships in Halifax harbor. Containers have been sealed and stamped and the goods are declared as isolation glass wadding, destined to a mill in Sofia. The consignee according to documents is the certain Hristo Ivanov Iliev. He has received the shipment at the Greek port Pirea and then transported it through Bulgarian border station Kulata towards Sofia.   
Immediately after Bulgarian police defeats the contraband net in 1998, Canadian authorities discovered 200 cars more in containers, prepared for the same channel. After this however the net continues to work, it is defeated for the second time in 2000, but it is almost sure that till now through that channel passing stolen luxury cars from Canada towards Bulgaria.
Probably part of them are exported in Kosowo even now. In this region the border control is weak and the huge part of the cars for a long time have been driven without any car signs. On the market in Kosowo there is a big demand for luxury cars, especially jeeps. According to eyewitnesses in Albania have been seen a lot of cars with American and Canadian car signs, but driven from a local citizens for sure.