A gold rush is reported in the second largest Bulgarian city of Plovdiv in the aftermath of news that the man, who allegedly stole BGN 1.5 M has surrendered, but the money is still missing.

The Bulgarian Standard daily writes that hundreds of people have rushed to the nearby Rhodoppe Mountain, after a prominent lawyer said that the hiding place is most likely located in an elevated and difficult to access mountainous place. The hopeful treasure hunters have been even seeking the help of archaeologists and mountain climbers.

Meanwhile, people close to the investigation, are quoted saying that after the theft, Georgi Enev, 33, went on vacation and visited several Black Sea resorts. He then returned to the Plovdiv area and hid in nearby villages.

Enev, the armored bank car driver, who allegedly pulled off an audacious theft of BGN 1.5 M from the car he was driving back in June, surrendered to the police, Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov announced Thursday evening.

During the questioning, the man refused to tell the authorities where and how he spent the last two weeks, and where the stolen money is. The investigators, according to unidentified sources, only know the location of a small amount, less than BGN 20 000, and have no idea about the rest.

The Deputy District Prosecutor of Plovdiv, Galin Gavrailov said he believed the detainee most likely remained in Bulgaria while police was searching for him. He added that Enev needed an hour an half to report to the police precinct after his lawyer placed the phone call informing that his client was going to surrender, thus he could not have been far away from Plovdiv.

On June 22, police in Plovdiv were alerted about an abandoned cash transporter, and upon arriving they also found that the vehicle was empty.

The equivalent of BGN 1.5 M in various currencies was missing and the cash transporter's driver immediately became the suspect. The man was nowhere to be found and his Opel Kadett discovered abandoned some 15 km away from the city of Plovdiv

On Thursday, Enev entered the Plovdiv Prosecutor's Office accompanied by his lawyer, the Interior Minister has told local media.

In the aftermath of the adventurous crime, Internet forums in Bulgaria were overflowing with messages of support and encouragement for the wanted man. The widespread support begs comparison with the mysterious case of the so-called D.B. Cooper back in the 70s.

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