Ministry of Interior with a new strategy for the search for Natalia, volunteers temporarily withdraw

The search for 11-year-old Natalia Slavova Asenova from the Varna village of Konstantinovo is entering a critical phase on the seventh day of her disappearance. The girl has been missing since the early hours of June 30 when taken by 40-year-old Asen Antonov Simeonov – her mother's ex-partner, who raised her. Law enforcement is searching a huge perimeter of over 1000 square kilometers, covering the municipalities of Avren, Dalgopol, Dolni Chiflik and Provadia.

What do we know so far?

Chronology of the kidnapping: On June 30, Asen Simeonov beat the child's mother, tied her limbs and took Natalia away under threat for her mother's life. For this reason, the Ministry of Interior and the Directorate for the Prevention of Crime and Crime Prevention immediately activated the emergency notification systems AMBER Alert and BG-Alert. Perpetrator Profile: Asen Simeonov is a criminal with a proven history of being a systematic domestic abuser. Psychiatrists predict that he is using the child as a “bargaining coin“ and therefore takes care of him during his escape. The man has serious previous experience in hiding in remote areas. Latest traces: On Saturday, a local shepherd spotted the two in an abandoned hunting lodge near the village of Velichkovo. Earlier, evidence was found that they had also spent the night at the deserted station in the village of Nova Shipka. CCTV cameras and driver's statements show that the two were traveling on foot, mostly at night. According to the latest data, Asen Simeonov has a noticeably larger beard than the photos released. Condition of the child: Camera recordings in some of the villages visited show that at the time of filming, the girl was walking closely behind her stepfather and appeared to be in good physical condition, with no visible signs of coercion in the open air. [1]

What's next in surgery?

Change in tactics and withdrawal of volunteers: At the request of the police, the volunteer units temporarily suspended their large-scale patrols. The reason is the lack of new “warm” civilian signals and the need for the Ministry of Interior to implement a specific operational strategy that requires silence and tactical surprise. Volunteers remain fully prepared for mobilization upon designation of a specific location. Specialized technical intelligence: The police continue to use jeeps, thermal cameras and specialized thermal drones. The focus is shifting entirely to searching uninhabited buildings, caves, forest shelters and abandoned houses in the mountainous parts of the Dalgopol municipality. Intensified road control: Although it has been established that the fugitives are moving on foot, surveillance of the main roads in the Varna region remains in force to prevent them from boarding a vehicle.

IMPORTANT APPEAL FROM THE MINISTRY OF INTERIOR: All citizens who have information or notice persons matching the description should immediately report the incident to 112. The police explicitly warn do not attempt direct contact or self-defense, as the wanted man is extremely aggressive, brutal and unpredictable.