Bulgarian human-trafficking fugitive captured
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 22 October 2013 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Bulgarian human-trafficking fugitive captured, 22 October 2013, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/528b679a14.html [accessed 22 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
October 22, 2013
A Bulgarian fugitive who was convicted in 2002 in connection with a 1995 human-trafficking case in which 18 Sri Lankans died in the back of a truck has been captured near the U.S. city of Seattle.
Plamen Vladimirov Trifonov, 58, was arrested on Monday and faces extradition to Bulgaria.
In July 1995, Trifonov was driving a truck with 40 Sri Lankan nationals from Romania to Hungary.
When he checked his passengers after several hours of driving, he found that many of them had died.
He fled the scene, abandoning the survivors.
A Bulgarian court convicted him of human trafficking and negligent homicide and sentenced him to eight years in prison, but he fled before he was jailed.
U.S. officials said it is unclear when he entered the United States.
Based on reporting by Reuters and AP
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
