Shock as popular Constantia trainer linked to Interpol drug trafficking alert

Clients of a popular personal trainer at Virgin Active say they are struggling to process reports linking him to be wanted by Interpol for drug trafficking.

They described a sense of shock and disbelief at the contrast between the man they knew and the allegations now associated with his name.

The trainer, Stamenov Stanislav Sevdanilov, a Bulgarian national, is believed to be the same individual listed by Interpol as wanted by Romanian authorities in connection with alleged drug trafficking, although this has not been formally confirmed by South African authorities.

Western Cape police did not confirm any arrest or active local investigation, referring media enquiries to the national South African Police Service communications office.

Meanwhile, when the Cape Argus queried whether Sevdanilov was arrested locally or sought following the red notice issued by Interpol,  the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigation, the Hawks confirmed that a case number exists in relation to the May 2023 killing of four Bulgarian nationals in Constantia.

Hawks spokesperson Zinzi Hani said: “This investigation is dealt with by PC Western Cape Organised Crime office. The murder case of the 4 Bulgarian Nationals in Constantia on 2023-05-25.”

Hani did not divulge the Hawks investigation into Sevdanilov and the Constantia killings.

A client, speaking on condition of anonymity, said she was “seriously heartbroken” by the reports, describing Sevdanilov as kind, generous and widely liked by those who trained with him.

“People adored him,” she said. “He’s a great guy with a beautiful wife and a lovely daughter. He’s kind, considerate, funny and generous. Everyone who worked with him loved him.”

She said the situation had left her struggling to reconcile her personal experience with what she was now reading. “My heart is sore,” she said. “I just can’t make sense of it.”

According to the client, Sevdanilov often trained entire families together and went beyond what was expected of him professionally. “He even let my husband and children join my training sessions,” she said. “He gave us all personalised Christmas gifts. That’s the kind of person he was.”

 “I just paid him my monthly fee and he refunded me,” she said. “If nothing happens to him, I will continue to train with him.”

Sevdanilov had been listed online as a personal trainer at the Constantia Virgin Active branch, but his profile was removed after media enquiries were submitted. It is understood that he was subsequently suspended.

The Cape Argus contacted the Constantia Virgin Active branch for comment and was referred to the gym’s head office which went unanswered including its website.

Interpol states that a red notice is not an international arrest warrant, but a request to law-enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender or similar legal action. Any action taken remains at the discretion of national authorities.

Romanian prosecutors have previously named a person with the same name in official court documents. In a 2009 press release, prosecutors from Romania’s Directorate for the Investigation of Organised Crime and Terrorism Crimes said a Bulgarian citizen named Stamenov Stanislav Sevdanilov was among those implicated in a large organised drug-trafficking network operating in Bucharest.

According to that statement, prosecutors alleged that nearly two kilograms of heroin were seized during a surveillance operation in Giurgiu in June 2009, with the drugs allegedly introduced into Romania by Sevdanilov and another Bulgarian national. The document states that investigators believed the group carried out several similar transactions involving heroin imported for distribution. The case was referred to the Bucharest Court for resolution.

There has been no confirmation from South African authorities that the Constantia-based trainer is the same individual referred to in the 2009 Romanian prosecutorial statement.

The Cape Argus attempted to contact Sevdanilov for comment, but calls to his cellphone went straight to voicemail.

For now, authorities have confirmed little beyond the existence of an Interpol alert and historical foreign court records relating to a person with the same name.

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