No negotiations on UK-owned vessels yet

(Version anglaise seulement)

The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry did not confirm Tuesday the news about the start of negotiations for the release of the Bulgarian sailors, but Deputy Foreign Minister Marin Raykov said the talks might be starting any time.

Asian Glory was hijacked on January 1, 2010, and St. James Park – on December 29, 2009. A total of 13 Bulgarian sailors were captured by the Somali pirates. The two ships are reported to be on anchor near the port of Hobyo, on the Somalian coast.
Both ships are operated by the UK company Zodiac, which has a recruting office in Bulgaria for the recruitment of cheap manpower from Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean.

Manpower trafficking is under serious investigation, while Bulgarian journalist Boris Tsankov was gunned down in Sofia.

The BBC reported that Boris "Bobbie" Tsankov, a prominent crime journalist who reported on the Mafia in Bulgaria, has been killed yesterday by gunmen in the capital, Sofia.

The 30-year-old, who was also a popular radio host, was attacked on a crowded street in the city centre, police said.

Two men who were with him were also shot and critically wounded, before the gunmen escaped on foot.
In 2008, Georgi Stoev, the author of several books on Bulgarian organised crime, was killed in a similar attack.

Months later, Bulgaria lost access to more than 500m euros (£430m) of EU funding for failing to deal with corruption and organised crime.

Since his book The Secrets of the Mobsters was published last November, Mr Tsankov said he had received numerous death threats.

The book - based on his contacts with underworld bosses such as the drug dealer Anton Miltenov - who was shot dead in 2005 - alleged links between Mafia figures and businessmen.

Meanwhile also the case of abducted British yachting couple Paul and Rachel Chandler, held near Harardheere at the Central Somali coast, is not coming forward and British subject Murray Watson, a researcher who worked for the UN at the time, is apparently still missing in action in Southern Somalia since April 2008.

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