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

Two brothers, Turkish citizens Mustafa and Engin, were detained for the fatal shooting of Bulgarian border policeman Petar Bachvarov. More lines of enquiry are being followed up. Information that the weapon of the crime was a hunting rifle has been confirmed.

There is a new line of one of the main enquiries, namely that of migrant trafficking. Most likely, the border policeman Peter Bachvarov was a random victim of a pre-planned revenge. According to information from BNT sources, most likely, the two brothers were lying in wait for their contractor, who was to be shot. In the dark, they did not distinguish the police car, nor did they notice the police uniform and fired at the moment when Petar Bachvarov shone the torch on the cut in the razor wire fence.

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

The two detained brothers have extensive criminal records in the Turkish services. Mustafa and Engin have multiple theft registrations and were brought before the court in Edirne today to order their arrest. At the time they were detained, Turkish police officers found a hunting rifle and 23 rounds of hunting ammunition. This confirms the line of enquiry that border police officer Petar Bachvarov was shot with such weapons.

Borislav Sarafov, deputy chief prosecutor and director of the National Prosecutor's Office: 'Projectiles, hunting pellets were taken out of the body. That is, the initial version that the shooting against him was caused by a hunting weapon, not a combat weapon, is confirmed."

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

Ivan Demerdzhiev, caretaker deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior: 'The shots, the fatal shots, came from Turkish territory and there is no doubt about that. They were fired with a hunting rifle."

According to the evidence investigators have gathered so far, Mustafa and Engin were waiting at the border, next to the opening in the fence in an ambush.

Ivan Demerdzhiev, caretaker deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior: 'They did not want to go through the furrow, they in turn were waiting for their intended victims.

The investigators are working on two lines of enquiry. The two brothers were waiting for their partners in the migrant smuggling business, whom they wanted to remove so they would not share the profits.

Ivan Demerdzhiev, caretaker deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior: "These people were committing crimes on the territory of Turkey. They were committing crimes most likely precisely in relation to migrants and at some point they decided that someone was in their way to commit these crimes."

At this stage, the line of enquiry that they were involved in drug trafficking is not confirmed, but work is continuing on that as well.

Ivan Demerdzhiev, caretaker deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior: 'It is also very clear what exactly they did and what their motives were for doing it.

Presumably, they fired at close range at the border policeman and that is why the first shot was fatal and Petar Bachvarov had no chance to react.

'The way the policeman was approached was inhuman', the minister said.

Nine cartridge casings were found on the Turkish side of the border.

Ivan Demerdzhiev, caretaker Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior. The cartridge casings found on the Bulgarian side came from a Kalashnikov assault rifle which the military serviceman (who was jointly patrolling with the border policeman) used to respond to the shooting that came from the Turkish territory.

Further examination of the projectiles removed from the body of the border policeman will give an answer to the question whether the weapon found by the Turkish investigators is the same weapon that was used to shoot Peter Bachvarov.

There are restrictions on the extradition of Turkish nationals to other countries for handing over to trial. It all depends on what the two countries agree. It is most likely that the two investigations will be merged and the two brothers Mustafa and Engin will be tried in a Turkish court.

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

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