Bulgarian Border Police Detain Chechen, Turkish Terrorists

Two men wanted by Interpol for terrorism, a Chechen and a Turk, have been arrested by the Bulgarian Border Police.

The arrests were announced Friday night by the District Prosecutor's Office in Bulgaria's Danube city of Ruse.

The two men were nabbed in two unrelated cases upon attempting to enter Bulgaria with their families, the Prosecutor's Office in Ruse said.

Both of them used documents issued from Western European countries certifying refugee status.

47-year-old Chechen Mohmad Gadamouri entered Bulgaria with his five children, telling the border authorities he was arriving on vacation. Upon inspection, however, the border officers found that he is wanted for being part of a terrorist group that planned a terrorist attack in the Russian republic of Ingushetia back in 2003. He is believed to have been hiding in Europe ever since.

The man is also wanted for illegal trading of arms and toxic substances. He will be detained for 40 days in the Ruse detention facility.

In an unrelated case, 29-year-old Turkish citizen Erkan Polater has been arrested in Ruse on charges of being a member of a terrorist organization.

Both men will remain in the Bulgarian arrest until the authorities receive documents authorizing their extradition to their respective home countries.

The Chechen's refugee status paperwork was issued by Germany, while the Turk's refugee status has been certified by the Netherlands, the Bulgarian authorities said.