Turf Wars in Bulgaria's Coastal Varna?

Novinite Insider » EDITORIAL | January 26, 2007, Friday // 00:00
Bulgaria: Turf Wars in Bulgaria's Coastal Varna? Photo by Kameliya Atanasova (Sofia Photo Agency)

By Bogdana Lazarova, Nikolay Hristov*


For years Bulgarians linked the word "drugs" with the names of Anton Miltenov, known as the Beak, Zlatko Baretata, and Dimitar Zheliazkov, a.k.a. the Eyes. Bulgarians got an idea of what is a "gangsters' war" when shootouts and killings of drug dealers, underground figures and the clearing of the drug market in Sofia began.

While Sofia killings kept media busy, 500 km eastwards, in the Black Sea town of Varna one of the most powerful drug markets emerged. Varna's drug dealership network received the name The Monopole, started growing rapidly and soon conquered the market. It was easy because Monopole did not have any rivals until several days ago, when people in Varna started speaking of turf wars. The word spread out when police made several announcements for confiscating big amounts of illegal guns from the home of a Varna citizen. First it was a bomb in the home of another person, and then a bomb was defused in the car showroom of a third one. Rumors spread that the armory was to be used for the murder of a certain leader of Monopole by another, newly emerged drug dealers network, which for the underground members means only one - bloody turf wars.

Darik Radio's journalists Bogdana Lazarova and Nikolay Hristov have decided to see what it was all about.

The Monopole drug network, they found out, has a very strict hierarchic and money collecting structure. Everyone who dares to break it gets a heavy beating or a deadly bullet in the body. Drugs in Varna come from Sofia. Those are mainly hashish, marihuana, amphetamines, ecstasy.

Hristov and Lazarova made an inquiry and found out that Monopole had suffered several tough blows. The first one was three years ago when police seized 16 kilos of marihuana, who had to provide the monthly supply of the drug to Varna. The second blow was in June 2006, when police arrested a Monopole medium-level leader and his accomplice when both exchanged money for 600 amphetamine pills. The third blow came when a high-level drug dealers' boss and his strong arm group were arrested for blackmailing and beating up a bar owner. All of them were arrested and kept in prison until present.

After these events The Monopole seemed to be left without its main leaders and another dealers group decided to destroy Monopole and conquer Varna's drug market. The unknown group has been in the drug business for several years but seemed to be defunct for a while and has left the market to Monopole. Now the group has started growing and will try to weed out Monopole.

Seeing the threat, Monopole started preparing itself for an open clash. In its efforts to win the forthcoming turf war, Monopole is trying to attract drug dealers and strong arm groups from central Bulgaria. Meanwhile the other claimant for Varna's drug market monopole is trying to attract more powerful and influential groups from Sofia.

This seemingly insignificant Varna conflict may turn into a nationwide turf war, Hristov and Lazarova foresee. According to police, on the other hand, there is nothing to worry about.


* Translated by Lora Petrova, Sofia News Agency

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