Busted Brother of Bulgarian Football Star Berbatov Vanishes

Asen Berbatov, the younger brother of star Bulgarian football player Dimitar Berbatov, who was arrested for cocaine possession and later released on bail, has vanished.

The Bulgarian Standard daily writes Sunday that Asen has disappeared from the southwestern city of Blagoevgrad where he resides.

An elderly neighbor is quoted saying she saw Asen and his wife Dimitrichka, known as Mimi, leaving their home, looking calm. The vehicle, where the 20 grams of cocaine were found, is registered to Mimi, and it is reported missing as well.

Asen Berbatov was detained last Thursday night after police chased the car he was riding in, with Nikolay Borisov behind the wheel, on a road close to the southwestern city of Kyustendil.

The police found the cocaine hidden inside a child seat in the car. The wife Dimitrichka was not in it.

The younger Berbatov and Borisov, who was also arrested, were released on bail Friday evening.

Velichka Shopova, Head of the Regional Prosecutor's Office in the southwestern town of Dupnitsa, grounded the decision on the fact the two have no criminal records.

It is presumed that Berbatov has hired Borisov to drive over the pending pre-trial proceedings against him for driving without a license. Borisov tested positive for illegal drugs, but Asen's results were negative.

Asen, 29, Mimi, Berbatov's parents – father Ivan and mother Margarita, have been advised by an attorney to not make any statements, again according to Standard, citing people close to the family.

They say the Prosecutor's Office acted in a hurry to press charges since nothing is known about the cocaine – who did it belong to and how did it end inside the car.

It is expected that Berbatov and Borisov will appear next week before the prosecutor in Dupnitsa to offer explanations in the case.

Berbatov's brother has gained infamous reputation over the last few years.

In mid-2010 the Regional Prosecutor's Office in Blagoevgrad probed Asen Berbatov for credit card draining.

On April 22, the local police searched Berbatov's house and found the cash register, used as POS terminal, and evidence of some suspicious credit card payments.

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