A man, originally from Bulgaria, is listed by the global police organisation Interpol as wanted by Romania for ‘trafficking in drugs’. And he’s been in Cape Town, offering personal training at a Virgin Active gym in the upmarket suburb of Constantia. Virgin Active has suspended contracted Cape Town personal trainer Stan Stamenov, who was working at its gym in the upmarket suburb of Constantia.
Stamenov’s name also came up when Krasimir Kamenov, also originally from Bulgaria, was among four people from that country killed in May 2023 in Constantia. Stamenov was said to have been a bodyguard for Kamenov. He was suspended after Daily Maverick submitted questions to Virgin Active after establishing that he was likely the same individual flagged by an international police organisation as wanted in Romania for drug trafficking.
Stamenov is listedon an online platformthat Virgin Active uses to advertise personal trainers working at its Constantia branch. His framed photograph with his details is also on a wall inside the gym, along with those of several other personal trainers. Daily Maverick was alerted to this last week and has since confirmed it.
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At the same time, another photograph, under the name Stanislav Sevdanilov Stamenov, appears in the “wanted” section of an international policing website. Aside from similarities between the Virgin Active photograph of Stamenov and the one on the international policing website, there is other evidence suggesting the personal trainer is indeed the wanted individual. Daily Maverick’s attempts to get comment from Stamenov on Monday after his suspension was publicised were not immediately successful.
A woman answered the phone number provided for him, said he was busy and that Daily Maverick should send him a message. This message was not immediately replied to, and a second call was unanswered. According to the details accompanying his photograph at Virgin Active in Constantia, Stamenov is a “senior personal trainer” who obtained his qualification from what Daily Maverick has established is a South African fitness academy.
The same photograph of Stamenov is on the online platform showcasing Virgin Active personal trainers. This platform says that Stamenov is “specialised in” bodybuilding, boxing, functional training, martial arts and weight loss.
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