The State is trying to get back some of the property of arrested former undercover state security agent, Aleksei Petrov, Interior Minister, Tsvetanov Tsvetanov, informed Monday.

Tsvetanov spoke during a ceremony to award employees of the Interior over their sports achievements.

The property in question is the sports complex and swimming pool “Spartak” in downtown Sofia.

The Minister said the Interior is trying to come up with a way to appraise and seize the facility for 3-4 months now. The working group includes representatives of the Ministry, the City Hall and municipal management.

According to Tsvetanov, the sports complex has been given to the Interior in the distant 1985 and the contract with the current tenants has expired.

The facility had been, for a long time, associated with alleged ringleader, Aleksei Petrov, who was arrested in February in a special police operation codenamed “Octopus.” Some of the main offices of the insurance company “Lev Ins,” which is also connected to Petrov are located inside the complex.

“Spartak” is notorious for being the place where ex Interior Minister, Rumen Petkov, met with two other alleged crime bosses – Angel Hristov and Plamen Galev, aka the Galevi Brothers. The affair led to Petkov’s resignation. Aleksei Petrov became a target of a failed attack on his life at the same location.

Last week the Committee in charge of seizing the illegally acquired assets in favor of the State or the so-called “Kushlev Committee”, named after its Head, Stoyan Kushlev, put a restrain on BGN 41 M of assets belonging to alleged members of the “Octopus” crime group, of them BGN 3.3 M to Petrov.

The individuals arrested in February, during the special police operation are investigated on charges of racket, illegal drug trading, prostitution and other criminal activities. Out of the 14 people detained only alleged ringleader, Aleksei Petrov, and his right hand, Marcelo Dzholotov, remain behind bars. Their restrained properties are valued at BGN 3.3 M and BGN 642 000 respectively.

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