Money from the sale of illegal substances has been transferred to the accounts of two Slovenian retirees in Bulgaria, a public document of the Court of Massachusetts claims. Documents in the case against a Slovenian group for production and distribution of anabolic steroids from 2011 mention individuals Jozef Topolovec and Ana Topolovec, in whose Piraeus Bank and Raiffeisen Bank accounts money from the sale of steroids through an internet site has been received via bank transfers from abroad. The group was discovered by DEA agents and legal charges have been pressed, but Slovenia has not extradited the convicted individuals to the United States.
The subject is a hot topic over the doping scandal with the Bulgarian national weightlifting team and the admission of Sports Minister Krasen Kralev that prohibited substances are used the most in Bulgaria. However, it is also related to issues with the supervision of the Bulgarian financial system.
In principle and within the regulations on money laundering, banks are mandated to check the origin of each significant incoming transfer, while the banking supervision and the State Agency for National Security (DANS) control financial flows. Furthermore, banks are required to exercise additional caution when opening accounts for non-residents who do not live permanently in the country and are not developing business. A check of Bivol in the registries showed that individuals with the names Jozef and Ana Topolovec do not possess and manage business in Bulgaria and are not property owners in the country.
Bivol asked the prosecution if they have received inquiries under the international legal assistance regarding establishing the facts of this case, and whether pre-trial proceedings for money laundering have been launched. The press office of the prosecution has not replied to this request for the fourth month now. According to unofficial information, our questions refer to a classified and pending investigation in the production capacities of the group on Bulgarian territory.
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