Member of Bulgarian “Impudent” Gang Killed

Published: 26 March 2012

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A member of Bulgaria’s infamous kidnapping gang known as “The Impudent” was gunned down Saturday evening in front of his apartment building in Sofia. Kiril “Shkafa” Kirilov, 38, was among the first to be arrested in December 2009, when the Bulgarian authorities cracked down on an organized crime group believed to be responsible for 11 high profile kidnappings between 2008 and 2009.

It is unclear who shot Kirilov, although he informed his attorney Yolina Staneva that he was being followed by a black SUV for some time. Staneva told the FOCUS News Agency today that her client had nothing to do with the kidnappings, and had no intention of testifying against the members of the Impudent group. She criticized the prosecution for releasing Kirilev from prison, where he would have been safer. Kirilov was imprisoned in Vratsa, Bulgaria, for armed robbery and assault. He was released in 2011.

Kirilov has a long criminal record, including assault and battery, robbery, and jailbreaks. The Chief Secretary of the Interior Ministry Kalin Georgiev told a local TV station that Kirilov was implicated in several serious crimes, such as murder and armed robbery.

Prime Minister Boyko Borisov told TV 7 on Sunday that a crime figure like Kirilov should not have been freed from jail in the first place. He urged the Bulgarian people to question the Chief Prosecutor Boris Velchev and the Chair of the Supreme Court of Cassations Lazar Gruev on why Kirilov was released.

The Impudent targeted elite members of Bulgarian society and their families, and allegedly made several millions euros in ransom. The group’s trial was coming to a close, with the sentencing scheduled for April 2.

There are nine defendants in the trial. Ivaylo “Yozhi” Evtimov and Prokopi “The Bodybuilder”  Prokopiev, are charged with racketeering and organizing a kidnapping gang. Daniel “The Relay” Dimitrov, Lyubomir “The Rower” Dimitrov, Pavel Petkov,  Kirilov, Tsvetozar Slavchev, and brothers Radoslav and Mitko Lebeshevski, are charged as accomplices in 11 high-profile kidnappings.

The prosecution has asked for 8 to 15 years for each of the defendants, stressing that the Impudent group poses a serious danger to the society.