Constantia Gym Trainer Under Scrutiny After Interpol Drug Trafficking Red Notice Links Emerge

A sense of disbelief has spread through a tight-knit fitness community in Constantia after reports surfaced linking a well-known personal trainer to an Interpol alert connected to alleged drug trafficking.

Clients who trained with the instructor at Virgin Active say they are struggling to reconcile the allegations with the man they believed they knew, describing the news as deeply unsettling.

The individual, identified as Stamenov Stanislav Sevdanilov, a Bulgarian national, is believed to share a name with a person listed by Interpol as wanted by Romanian authorities.

South African law enforcement agencies have not confirmed whether the Constantia-based trainer is the same individual referenced in the alert.

Police confirm limited details amid international alert

Western Cape police said they could not confirm any arrest or ongoing provincial investigation, directing all media enquiries to the national South African Police Service communications office.

Further questions submitted to the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigation, known as the Hawks, focused on whether Sevdanilov was being actively sought following the Interpol red notice. In response, the Hawks confirmed the existence of a case number linked to the killing of four Bulgarian nationals in Constantia in May 2023.

Hawks spokesperson Zinzi Hani said: “This investigation is dealt with by PC Western Cape Organised Crime office. The murder case of the 4 Bulgarian Nationals in Constantia on 2023-05-25.”

No additional details were provided regarding the scope of the investigation or whether Sevdanilov is a person of interest in the case.

‘My heart is sore’: clients react to allegations

One client, who asked not to be named, said she was devastated by the reports, describing Sevdanilov as a respected and caring figure among gym members.

“People adored him,” she said. “He’s a great guy with a beautiful wife and a lovely daughter. He’s kind, considerate, funny and generous. Everyone who worked with him loved him.”

She said the situation had left her emotionally conflicted. “My heart is sore,” she said. “I just can’t make sense of it.”

According to the client, Sevdanilov often trained multiple members of the same family and regularly went beyond his professional obligations. “He even let my husband and children join my training sessions,” she said. “He gave us all personalised Christmas gifts. That’s the kind of person he was.”

“I just paid him my monthly fee and he refunded me,” she said. “If nothing happens to him, I will continue to train with him.”

Gym profile removed as questions mount

Sevdanilov’s profile, which previously appeared on Virgin Active’s website as a personal trainer at its Constantia branch, was removed following media enquiries. It is understood that he was later suspended.

The Cape Argus contacted the Constantia Virgin Active branch for comment and was referred to head office. No response was received through direct contact or via the company’s website.

Romanian court records resurface

Interpol has emphasised that a red notice does not amount to an international arrest warrant.

Rather, it serves as a request to law enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest an individual pending extradition or similar legal processes. Any enforcement action remains at the discretion of national authorities.

Romanian prosecutors have previously named a person with the same name in official court documentation.

In a 2009 press release, Romania’s Directorate for the Investigation of Organised Crime and Terrorism Crimes said a Bulgarian citizen named Stamenov Stanislav Sevdanilov was among those implicated in an organised drug-trafficking operation based in Bucharest.

That statement alleged that nearly two kilograms of heroin were seized during a surveillance operation in Giurgiu in June 2009. Prosecutors claimed the drugs were brought into Romania by Sevdanilov and another Bulgarian national.

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Investigators believed the group had carried out several similar transactions involving heroin intended for distribution. The case was referred to the Bucharest Court for adjudication.

South African authorities have not confirmed that the trainer based in Constantia is the same individual referenced in the Romanian prosecutorial records.

Attempts by the Cape Argus to obtain comment from Sevdanilov were unsuccessful, with calls to his cellphone diverting to voicemail.

For now, official confirmation remains limited to the existence of an Interpol alert and historical foreign court documents linked to a person sharing the same name.

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