Petko Sertov, the mysteriously disappeared ex-chief of Bulgaria's National Security Agency (DANS) did not leave the country, according to the police.

At a news conference the head of the Sofia Directorate of the Interior Ministry Mladen Marinov told journalists the police is looking for Sertov in southern Bulgaria.

The car Sertov reportedly drove, was not his, but he had the habit of using it. It is a light grey Opel Astra, with a registration number СА2987РМ. The police asks the public for co-operation.

A helicopter was also meant to participate in the search operation, but the bad weather prevented this, according to the Nova TV national channel.

According to Marinov, in the afternoon of the day of his disappearance – December 5 – Sertov withdrew cash from an ATM in downtown Sofia. Marinov also said Sertov left his home with his ID documents, but it was unusual to be missing for such a long time, without alerting someone.

According to the Interior Ministry chief secretary Svetlozar Lazarov, the sum was not unusual and there is no information of financial troubles or a crime committed against Sertov. "But we do not rule out any version," Lazarov said.

According to Lazarov's deputy Georgi Kostov, Sertov enjoyed offroad driving and might have gotten in an accident.

Earlier on Wednesday, Zoya Dimitrova, former spokesperson of DANS, told Nova TV that the police most likely knew very well where Sertov's car was. “The car has a GPS,” she said. “I think the police knows very well where it is, why it is there and if there are traces of violence. I think the police knows enough to draw some conclusions.”

According to Dimitrova, Sertov had a meeting with someone and knew well that his car was being traced. “Whatever happened, had to do with Sertov's current work,” Dimitrova said.

Sertov was the first head of DANS, in 2008-2009 and in 2009 was appointed head of the governmental Centre for prevention and combatting of corruption and organised crime (BORKOR).

He held the position until March 2013. According to the media, currently Sertov works as a private consultant. 

He's been missing since last Friday and was put on Interpol's missing persons list on Tuesday.

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