The police and the National Security Agency detained 18 people in a specialized operation against a neo-Nazi group in a secret private club in the center of Plovdiv. Among those arrested is an 18-year-old young man who was released on bail of 700 euros just days ago for attacking Nepalese citizens. His father, brother, and three underage girls were detained with him.
The private club where the arrests were made is located in the Mladezhki Hill area. During the search, law enforcement found neo-Nazi flags and posters. The facility has not operated as a free-access establishment for years, but was also inspected at the end of 2023, when similar symbols were found again, the police reported.
„The ideology is neo-Nazi. They belong to an organization of this type, an international organization “Blood and Honor“,“ announced the director of the OD of the Ministry of Internal Affairs - Plovdiv, Senior Commissioner Vasil Kostadinov. The “Blood and Honor” network, which preaches the superiority of the white race, is officially banned in a number of European countries.
Regarding the detained members of the same family, the Senior Commissioner specified: “The father is not the leader. If we can even talk about the distribution of any functions and roles, at the moment these are things that are being established during the investigation.“
The actions of the law enforcement agencies, which continued until the wee hours of the night, also revealed possible connections of members of the group with other serious criminal acts in the city. The police point out that during the investigation of the murder of Georgi Kuzev on the Youth Hill, the presence of a minor was established, also accused of the beating of the Nepalese. The second accused in the attack on the foreigners is the 18-year-old youth arrested last night in the club.
The lawyer for some of the detainees, Stoyan Memtsov, who appeared at the scene of the raid, specified that he represents the tenant of the premises and two other individuals, including a minor girl.
“The tenant of the premises had a similar raid several years ago, during which similar materials were seized again. The person was subsequently detained. The court subsequently overturned the detention as unlawful“, commented lawyer Memtsov. He categorically rejected the information that he had tried to obstruct the work of the investigators: “I will put it in the mildest way that this is complete nonsense. There were no actions on my part that would hinder any actions in the investigation. My actions were solely aimed at controlling the legality of the actions taken by the Ministry of Interior.“
People working near the club say they have noticed movement around the site. Seller Georgi Chanev says: “They basically pass by, take something and leave. There are also big people, adults, and there are smaller ones. Smaller ones between 18 and 19. They may have been older, but I can't say for sure.“
The items and materials seized during the searches will be analyzed during the investigation. The prosecutor's office is yet to decide which of the detained individuals will be formally charged.