Three members of the Notorious “The Impudent” Kidnapping Gang Have Gone Missing

Three members of the notorious “The Impudent” kidnapping gang, exposed in 2009, have gone missing.

The men have been unaccounted for over the past two days. Sofia police have confirmed only that their disappearance is under investigation. In 2013, Prokopi Prokopiev, Ivaylo Evtimov, and Daniel Dimitrov—known by their nicknames The Bodybuilder, Yozhi, and The Relay—were convicted for 13 kidnappings.

Two days ago, Prokopiev’s wife reported him missing. Investigators soon discovered that the former convict’s phone had last been located near those of his associates Evtimov and Dimitrov. Their cars were later found with their mobile phones left inside—a detail that, according to journalist Slavi Angelov, suggests they were either heading to commit a criminal act or had been lured into a trap. No identification documents were found.

Prokopiev, Evtimov, and Dimitrov, along with Lyubomir Dimitrov (The Rower), were jailed in 2013 for kidnappings committed between 2006 and 2009. The group had demanded roughly €40 million in ransom but ultimately collected just over €3.5 million—money that has never been recovered.

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Angelov compared the case to other high-profile disappearances in Bulgaria’s criminal underworld, such as Meto Ilianski in 2001, “Little Kiro” Brezhanetsa a few years later, and the Bikovi twins, contract killers for Karo. He believes the current case is unrelated to past kidnappings, but possibly linked to cocaine trafficking through Bulgaria.

Slavi Angelov, editor-in-chief of the daily '168 Hours': "Which, in fact, corresponds to the global percentage in such cases. But, ultimately, those three million are not a small sum, and they were never found."

In a similar manner, in 2001 Meto Ilianski disappeared, and a few years later, the trace to “Little Kiro” – Brezhanetsa – was lost in the same way.

Slavi Angelov, editor-in-chief of the newspaper '168 Hours':
"And that is also how the Bikovi twins vanished—men who carried out contract killings for Karo."

According to investigative journalist Slavi Angelov, the disappearance of “The Bodybuilder,” “Yozhi” and “The Relay” is not connected to the kidnappings carried out during the era of The Impudent Ones. It may, however, be linked to problems involving cocaine trafficking through Bulgaria.

Slavi Angelov, Editor-in-Chief of '168 Hours':
"The Lebeshkovski brothers were detained a few months ago in connection with the disappearance of two Bulgarians, whose case is probably related to the disappearance of 160 kilogrammes of cocaine."

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The Lebeshkovski brothers were part of The Impudent, but were acquitted by the court. They are close to “The Bodybuilder,” “Yozhi” and “The Relay,” who were convicted but released on parole in 2020 and 2023. In underground circles, it is claimed that in recent years the Lebeshkovskis and the three missing men shared common business interests.

Slavi Angelov, Editor-in-Chief of 168 Hours:
"At Kapitan Andreevo, a large shipment was seized—a record for a land border—of about 200 kilogrammes of cocaine, which may well be part of the exact same scheme."

After their release from prison, “The Bodybuilder” and “Yozhi” officially engaged in beekeeping and dealing in antiques, while Dancho “The Relay” was detained several times for theft.