Famous Bulgarian drug trafficker turns himself in to authorities.
In the heart of Bulgaria, infamous drug lord Ewelin Banew, aptly nicknamed "Brendo," decided to face the law. On a chilly Monday morn, he voluntarily handed himself over to the authorities, as stated by the Interior Ministry spokesperson, Mitko Dimitrow.
A clip from news channel flagman.bg captured Banew and his attorney Petar Safirow, en route to Sofia's Central Prison. Banew surrendered to begin his term, Safirow confirmed. When queried if he fully comprehended his actions, Banew, the former wrestler, coolly retorted, "Yeah, I get it."
Banew had been a fugitive in Bulgaria since 2018. An international arrest warrant was issued by Interpol to bring him back to justice. Ukrainian authorities nabbed him in Kiev in September 2021, but they declined to extradite him due to his new Ukrainian citizenship status.
Back in 2013, Banev was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison in Bulgaria for money laundering. His sentence was later reduced to six years upon appeal.
Banev was also a wanted man in Romania, where he was convicted in his absence to 10.5 years behind bars for drug trafficking. In 2017, he was slapped with a 20-year sentence in Italy for collaborating with the Calabrian mafia 'Ndrangheta in illegal drug distribution and smuggling an estimated 40 tons of cocaine into the country between 2004 and 2007.
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After surrendering to authorities, Ewelin Banew's attorney, Petar Safirow, revealed that Banew had voluntarily handed himself over to the police. Despite being a notorious drug lord and having new Ukrainian citizenship, Banew's previous actions in Bulgaria and other countries had caught up with him, leading to his arrest.
