The Plovdiv District Court will consider the measure of detention of the Spanish citizen, detained during an operation by the National Agency for National Security and the Regional Directorate for Internal Affairs-Plovdiv near Kalofer. The prosecutor's office is demanding permanent arrest after the man was brought in as a defendant for possessing high-risk narcotics for the purpose of distribution.
The operation was carried out on September 27 in the Kalofer area. During the procedural and investigative actions in a room used by the accused, 35 pots with cacti, mushrooms and bottles of dark liquid were found and seized. Expertise has been ordered to determine whether the plants and substances found contain narcotic or psychoactive ingredients.
The Spaniard was initially detained for 24 hours, and then the period was extended to 72 hours by a decree of a prosecutor from the District Prosecutor's Office in Plovdiv. During the pre-trial proceedings, witnesses are being questioned and material evidence is being collected. 14 Bulgarian citizens associated with the group were questioned as witnesses.
DANS speaks of a group with non-traditional rituals
According to DANS, the Spanish citizen, who has been living in Bulgaria for a long time, has formed a group of followers and presented himself as the only “mediator with higher spirits“. The agency claims that the participants were subjected to psychological influence through pseudo-spiritual suggestions and promises of mental and physical healing.
DANS also reports that during the operation, about 30 pots with cacti were seized, which are reported to contain psychoactive substances, as well as mushrooms and a liquid of unknown composition. The prosecutor's office's information indicates the number of pots as 35. The difference is yet to be clarified with the case materials and expert reports.
The court must assess whether there are grounds to leave the accused in custody. At the moment, there is no information from a reliable source about a court decision on the measure.
Sources: BNR Novinite, BTA