About a week ago, Daily Maverick revealed how a personal trainer offering his services at a Cape Town gym was a fugitive wanted by Romania for drug trafficking. While police have since kept quiet on that case, an alleged drug dealer has been deported to the UK and a fraud suspect to China. An alleged drug dealer was deported from South Africa to the UK last week and just two days later, a fraud suspect was sent back to China.
The latter matter has revealed that at least 18 other fugitives from China are hiding in this country. Both the extraditions – to the UK and to China – happened last week, which coincides with when Daily Maverick reported on how a personal trainer, offering his services at a Virgin Active gym in the Cape Town suburb of Constantia, was a fugitive. It was established that he was actuallyStanislav Stamenov, who, according to the international police organisation Interpol, is a Bulgarian wanted by Romania for drug trafficking.
Stamenov was also reportedly a bodyguard for Krasimir Kamenov, who was murdered along with his wife, Gergana, and two employees in May 2023. All four were from Bulgaria and were fatally shot in the Kamenov’s home in Constantia. Kamenov was wanted in Bulgaria in connection with a policeman’s murder.
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Last week, in response to questions from Daily Maverick about Stamenov, Virgin Active said he had been suspended with immediate effect and that an investigation had been launched into the saga. On Monday, 2 February 2026, Virgin Active’s customer service head, Jacqui Walter, said there were no updates on the matter. However, she answered a Daily Maverick question about Stamenov’s appointment as a contracted personal trainer, saying: “Virgin Active followed the required due diligence processes applicable at the time in respect of all personal trainers operating within our clubs, including contractual compliance and the submission of supporting documentation as guided by our legal team.” The South African Police Service (SAPS), meanwhile, did not respond to repeated requests from Daily Maverick for comment on Stamenov.
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