Shot Bulgarian Mobster Remains in Critical Condition

Bulgarian mobster Baretata, who was shot Tuesday, is still in critical condition and undergoes blood transfusions several times a day.

Crime boss, Zlatomir Ivanov aka Baretata (The Beret, The Barret) was shot in broad daylight in the vicinity of the main courtroom building in the Bulgarian capital as he was going there for an appeals hearing in an illegal drugs distribution case against him.

After the shooting, Ivanov was taken to the emergency Pirogov hospital and underwent surgery for approximately four hours.

His life is reported to still be in danger, the Deputy Chief of Sofia Police, Ivaylo Spridonov, confirmed Sunday.

Speaking before TV7, Spiridonov further explained the police was working on three main leads in the shooting – business interests, underworld wars, and someone staging the attack to generate public interest and escalate tensions in the country.

The police chief did not rule out the possibility all three together could be behind the incident. According to him, the assassination attempt on Ivanov was "professionally planned" several weeks in advance, something Interior Minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, has already reiterated on several occasions.

Zlatomir Ivanov was arrested on February 7, 2009, after he turned himself in to Bulgaria's National State Security Agency DANS. He was charged with organizing and leading an organized crime group dealing with drug distribution and murders.

In 2012, Baretata was sentenced to 8 years of jail time.