Tihomir Kochov, who presents himself as a presbyter at a church in Sofia, has threatened investigative journalist Veronika Dimitrova after her report on movers and renovation firms in the city that extort their customers. "You will burn in hell," Kochov said.

The report says the firms agree a low price, then demand many times more under threat. No pre-trial proceedings have been opened in the new cases.

Kochov takes orders for moving services on the church phone and is a former owner of Tisho Stroy. He threatens journalists with God and says: "I hand you over to the Lord." The report says there are many complaints against his firms and against Hamali Hicks, owned by Kiril Mihaylov. Both men deny the accusations. Kochov claims other movers misuse his firm's name.

After the first part of the report, Dimitrova received 40 tip-offs. People say they were threatened with violence and forced to withdraw large sums from their debit cards. The journalist says every district police department in Sofia has at least one complaint.

The first victim got a quote last year: 250 leva (€127.82) to break up a screed floor and remove aluminium frames. The firm then demanded 4,020 leva (€2,055.39). He says he first refused to pay, but 8 movers with jackhammers and shovels surrounded him, let him speak to their boss, and he was forced to transfer the money. The man filed a complaint, but no pre-trial proceedings were opened. One of the victims sent the money to the account of the presbyter's son.

In a second case, the quote for the work was 150 leva (€76.69), but the sum rose to about €3,068 (6,000 leva) (€3,067.75). The victim says the workers threatened him and offered to drive him to a cash machine in their van.

There are also complaints about other firms, including Emil Slavchev Group. One of its customers paid €2,020 (3,950 leva) (€2,019.60) to move furniture. The firm agreed a price of 200 leva (€102.26) with another customer, then demanded €5,113 (10,000 leva) (€5,112.92), and he paid 6,420 leva (€3,282.50). The owner, Emil Slavchev, flatly denies extorting customers.

In a case of a leak in a bathroom, the victim was first asked for €20,000 and paid €12,000. A woman who had a drain unblocked got a bill for €800 and says she was threatened.

Almost all the victims have reported the cases to the police or prosecutors, but the authorities mostly treated them as civil disputes. Dimitrova says prosecutors refuse to act because the movers have political cover. She believes they have influence in their communities and can deliver many votes at elections.

The journalist describes how customers are boxed in: two men stand at the door and the others around the person, who cannot call the police. The claims of extortion and threats come from the victims. No one has been found guilty in court.

Several movers' websites were taken down in the past few days. Dimitrova says they change their phone numbers and put up new sites in place of the old ones, so the risk of people finding them is high.

The report also includes claims of threats against rival firms. The owner of a drain-unblocking firm says he has recordings of phone calls in which people tried to intimidate his workers, and he has handed them over.