Interpol Fugitive Busted: Bulgarian Drug Trafficker Arrested In Cape Town After Years On Run

A Bulgarian national sentenced to 16 years in prison for heroin trafficking in Romania has been arrested at his Cape Town home after allegedly living in the city for years while wanted internationally.

Stanislav Stamenov, 41, was taken into custody on Friday morning by the South African Police Service’s National Intervention Unit (NIU). He is expected to appear in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court in connection with extradition proceedings.

SAPS National Intervention Unit Makes Arrest

National police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe confirmed the arrest. “A 41-year-old convicted drug trafficker was arrested on Friday morning at his home by the SAPS National Intervention Unit in Cape Town,” Mathe said.

According to police, Stamenov was convicted in Romania in 2009 for his involvement in a large organised criminal group responsible for trafficking heroin into the country. He allegedly fled soon after being sentenced.

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“He was part of a large criminal organised group involved in the trafficking of heroin into Romania. It’s believed that he was hiding in Cape Town for several years,” Mathe said.

Authorities confirmed that Stamenov had been listed on an Interpol red notice, a global alert requesting member countries to locate and provisionally arrest a fugitive pending extradition.

“Following his arrest by the NIU, he is detained and will appear before the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court for his extradition matter on Monday,” she said.

Shock in Constantia After Trainer Linked to Interpol Alert

The arrest follows weeks of speculation after reports surfaced that a well-known personal trainer in Constantia had been linked to an Interpol alert.

Clients at a Virgin Active gym in the area reportedly expressed disbelief upon learning that their trainer, identified online as Stamenov Stanislav Sevdanilov, was allegedly wanted by Romanian authorities.

One client, speaking anonymously at the time, described him as “kind, considerate, funny and generous”.

“People adored him,” she said. “He’s a great guy with a beautiful wife and a lovely daughter. I just can’t make sense of it.”

Heroin Seizure and Bulgarian Extradition Process Ahead

Romanian prosecutors said in a 2009 statement that a Bulgarian citizen with the same name was implicated in an organised drug-trafficking network operating in Bucharest.

Nearly two kilograms of heroin were reportedly seized during a surveillance operation in Giurgiu in June 2009. Prosecutors alleged that the drugs were brought into Romania by Stamenov and another Bulgarian national, and that similar transactions had taken place involving heroin intended for distribution.

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Interpol has clarified that a red notice is not an international arrest warrant, but a request to member countries to locate and provisionally arrest a suspect, subject to domestic legislation.

The matter now moves to the South African courts, where extradition proceedings will determine whether Stamenov will be returned to Romania to serve his 16-year sentence.

His appearance in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court marks the first step in that legal process.