Vladimir Yankov, known as Zagatoto, was shot dead at his home in Bankya in July 2026. He ran a coffee, tea and vending machine import business worth millions of levs.

A year earlier, in January, Martin Bozhanov, known as Notariusa, was shot dead outside his home in Sofia. His name had been linked to property fraud, hostile takeovers of companies, and pressure on business owners in court cases through closed clubs of magistrates.

A year before that, Alexei Petrov was shot on Mount Vitosha in broad daylight. He was seen as one of the most influential figures of Bulgaria's post-communist era — a former special forces officer, businessman, lecturer and adviser to the State Agency for National Security.

Krasimir Kamenov, known as Karo, was killed along with his relatives in Cape Town, South Africa. Interpol had been hunting him. He was one of the last survivors from the original core of the VIS-2 crime group.