South Africa: four people shot dead, including a Bulgarian criminal

Four people believed to be of "Bulgarian origin" were shot dead in an upscale Cape Town neighborhood, South African police said on Thursday. A criminal wanted by Interpol, Krasimir Kamenov, was among the victims, according to judicial and government sources in Sofia.

"At around 08:20, the bodies of two women and two men aged between 40 and 50 were discovered with gunshot wounds," the police said in a statement. "The victims are believed to be of Bulgarian origin.

The motive for the murders remains unclear. An investigation has been opened.

According to judicial and government sources in Sofia, Krasimir Kamenov, a high-flying criminal who was part of the Bulgarian organized crime elite after the fall of communism in this Balkan country, is among the victims.

The 55-year-old is the subject of an Interpol red notice for "extortion, murder".

His name recently came back into the spotlight in Bulgaria after prosecutors announced the opening of an investigation into him for several murders, including that of a former police chief, towards the end of the regime.