Brother of Bulgarian football star Berbatov arrested after cocaine find
Assen Berbatov, the younger brother of former Manchester United striker Dimitar, was arrested on October 4 after being stopped by police, reports in Bulgarian media said on October 5.
Police found about 20 grams of cocaine hidden in a baby car seat, detaining Assen Berbatov and his wife Dimitrichka, Doupnitsa district prosecutor Velichka Shopova said, as quoted by Bulgarian news agency BTA.
An earlier report by news agency BGNES said that Berbatov was arrested after a highway car chase.
Police will next carry out a chemical analysis to establish the exact amount of pure cocaine found in Berbatov’s car before prosecutors can press possession charges.
The amount found in Berbatov’s car was not enough to press drug dealing charges, news website mediapool.bg said. Should the case make it to court, Berbatov could face up to five years imprisonment and a fine ranging between one and five years, but depending on the amount of evidence, criminal record and whether he pleads guilty, Berbatov could get off with only a fine, mediapool.bg said.
This is not the first time that Assen Berbatov makes headlines – in April 2010, police raided his apartment on drug-related suspicions, local daily Strouma reported at the time, but found nothing. Just months later, in July 2010, British tabloid The Sun reported that Assen Berbatov had been kidnapped and held for ransom, but the family and local police denied the claims, saying he was in a seaside resort.
(Photo: foxumon/sxc.hu)
