BNT exclusive: Those detained for the murder of the Bulgarian border guard are mentally ill and extremely poor

The brothers Engin and Mustafa, who were arrested for killing Bulgarian border policeman Petar Bachvarov, have mental illnesses. This is what their neighbours and people who know them exclusively told BNT.

A BNT team was in their home village and met with one of their last employers.

It became clear that these men belong to one of the most vulnerable groups of society. They have mental illnesses and live in extreme poverty.

They move from village to village and frequently change their mobile phone numbers. Information that they had committed thefts was also confirmed, but these were not significant, such as stealing a neighbour's motorbike, but when they were known to be responsible, they returned the motorcycle to its original place. They earlier herded the cattle of an entire village.

Suloglu. In the vast meadows and pastures near the town 30 kilometers from Adrianople, dozens of shepherds graze their flocks. This is the area, where Oglupasha, the home village of the brothers Engin and Mustafa Erguvan is. However, the family has not lived there for a long time.

"A poor family. Moreover, both they and their parents are not well. They don't stay in one place for long. They move from village to village. Once their late father was also involved in human trafficking," says Yumer Ucak.

There is no trace of their old house. Neighbours raise cattle on their property. Their mother comes once a year to collect the rent.

"She did not come last year. She usually comes in a taxi to collect her money, but she doesn't give any warning. If she finds us here we pay her and she leaves," says Didar.

Engin and Mustafa had told the court that they had not realised they had killed a person but had fired at the lights of the vehicle that had illuminated them. Their old neighbours in Oglupasha describe them as cowardly and people who would shoot without much thought, in exchange for money.

Now their trail leads to Tatarlar village where they last lived. There our BNT team found one of their previous employers who refused to stand in front of the camera. He told us that Engin and Mustafa change their phone number frequently and are hard to find. And although they now denied the freed brother was there, police patrol the entrance to the village.

One of the main versions of the shooting at the border circulating among people is that they fired because they were scared.

Details of the investigation: The border policeman who was shot dead at the Bulgaian-Turkish border was probably a victim of a pre-planned revenge

The two suspects detained for the fatal shooting of the Bulgarian border guard are Turkish citizens

Head of Bulgaria’s Investigation Service: Two detained for killing a policeman at the border with Türkiye

The two men detained for the killing of the Bulgarian border police officer will stand trial in Edirne

30-year-old Bulgarian border police officer shot dead during patrol for migrants at border with Türkiye