Crime Group Involved in Property Fraud and Extortion of Elderly People Dismantled Today

There have been three cases and three attempts at property fraud through extortion of elderly people, Deputy Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev told a press briefing on today's police raid in Orlandovtsi quarter, a Focus News Agency reporter said.

"What we will explain to you is the pre-trial proceedings overseen by the Special Prosecutor's Office, in which the prosecutors worked together with the General Directorate for Combatting Organised Crime. It is an organised crime group involved in what you call property fraud, or what has been publicly known as property mafia," Geshev said.

He said the group members were Bulgarian citizens of gypsy origin, who took away property from elderly people. The group selected its victims, gathering information about elderly people with mental conditions, who had no family or relatives. Then the elderly person was extorted, or even abducted, and coerced through physical and mental violence into agreeing to convey their only property to a strawman, Prosecutor Geshev explained.

"There are several groups in Sofia that have been involved in such crimes for many years," he added. The pre-trial proceedings are looking into three such cases, the prosecutor said. "Another three cases were prevented by the Interior Ministry officers," he added.

Charges against the group will be brought tomorrow after revision of the evidence, he further said.