British hostage freed in dramatic rescue
Published: December 21, 2005
A British man taken hostage by bogus estate agents in Bulgaria was recovering in hospital today after being freed from four days in captivity.
At least one of Christou Fanos’s captors was shot dead by police who stormed the kidnappers’ hideout 15 miles north of the capital, Sofia. Two other men were arrested during the raid, which followed a three-day siege by armed police.
Mr Fanos, 59, arrived in Bulgaria on December 15 after being lured into an elaborate house-hunting sting. He was met by his contact, Iranian national Ali Deni, at the airport and expected to be shown around a portfolio of properties.
Instead, he was bundled into a car and driven to a villa on the outskirts of Vlado Trichkov. Three days later, the kidnappers issued a demand for a £44,000, threatening to kill their hostage if the ransom was not paid.
Mr Fanos, a Greek Cypriot, had been badly treated and although police would not divulge details, a hospital spokesman said that he was in a “grave physical and psychological condition.”
General Vanyo Tanov, the head of the police’s anti-organised crime unit, told a press conference that one of the kidnappers, Hari Milkovski, opened fire when police raided the house. He was killed by marksmen.
He said that Atanas Galchev, a Bulgarian, and Mr Fanos’ original contact Mr Deni -were now being questioned in custody.
A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said that Scotland Yard had been informed of the situation on Sunday and had sent two officers to Sofia.
“Two officers were sent to act in a liaison capacity. Bulgarian police retained operational control at all times,” she said.
This is the first disclosure Bulgaria has made about a hostage being taken and released.
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