2 Bulgaria Security Officers Fired for 'Mafia Ties'

Two officers from Bulgaria's National Security Services have been released due to suspicions of ties with organized crime, stated Minister of Interior Tsvetan Tsvetanov.

The National Security Service is a Bulgarian state agency in charge of securing the safety of senior statesmen and threatened politicians.

"The two have also been denied all access to classified information," added Tsvetanov, speaking for Darik Radio.

The Interior Minister and vice-chair of ruling GERB party added that one of the officers has served guarding former Bulgarian PM and opposition Bulgarian Socialist Party leader Sergey Stanishev.

Tsvetanov did not clarify what the alleged organized crime connections were and whether formal court cases will be filed against the two officers.

But he suggested that the two might bear some ties to notorious businessman and former secret agent Aleksei Petrov, who has long been tried for various organized crime activities.

Tsvetanov further insinuated that Petrov might be behind the recent broad daylight shooting of first instance convicted mobster Zlatomir Ivanov, aka Zlatko Baretata.