04 Mar Interpol-Wanted Drug Trafficker Found Working at Virgin Active Constantia
A Bulgarian man named Stan Stamenov has recently been suspended as a personal trainer at the Constantia Virgin Active, after it came to light that he is wanted for drug trafficking in Romania. Stamenov has been flagged by Interpol, an international police organisation designed to combat international crime. He has been listed as a ‘red notice’ by Interpol, which serves as a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person wanted for prosecution or to serve a sentence.
Stamenov was suspended from his role as a personal trainer after the Daily Maverick, a local newspaper, submitted a series of questions to Virgin Active regarding his status as a wanted suspect. These questions were submitted to Virgin Active after the local news outlet was able to establish that the Stamenov listed on the Virgin Active website was likely the very same individual who was flagged as wanted by Romania. Daily Maverick has also reported that the Romanian police’s website has listed Stamenov as a fugitive, as it is said that he is wanted in connection with a 16-year prison sentence for offences relating to narcotics and ‘introducing high-risk drugs into the country’.
Further, according to the article, Virgin Active has contacted authorities about its suspended personal trainer in order to confirm whether Stamenov was indeed the same person whom Interpol flagged as wanted by Romania. Virgin Active’s head of customer service, Jacqui Walter, stated that, ‘At this stage, we are unable to share further details, but please be assured that the matter is being treated with the utmost seriousness.’ It has also been stated that both the SAPS and Interpol wish not to comment on the ongoing investigation so as not to jeopardise the integrity of the investigation. It is worth noting that the Interpol website claims that it cannot compel the law enforcement authorities in any country to arrest someone who is listed as a ‘red notice’. Each member country can decide what legal value to place on a ‘red notice’ and the authority of its law enforcement officers to make the arrest.
The exploitation of established systems used in the immigration process has placed added pressure on the South African government to not only manage legal immigration but also to ensure that wanted individuals cannot evade justice by using South Africa as a safe haven. Fugitives residing in South Africa can have a significant impact on immigration by triggering stricter enforcement, accelerating deportation priorities, and increasing the criminalisation of immigration processes.
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