Ivo Ivanov, Varna crime figure, found dead in Borovets

Ivo Ivanov, a prominent criminal figure from Varna known as ‘Ivo Gela’, was found dead in a hotel room in Borovets on September 3, 2026. The 54-year-old died of a massive heart attack following a three-day period involving heavy cocaine use.

Ivanov had a long history of alleged involvement in organized crime, including serving as a close associate of Visvodza crime boss Georgi Iliev. He was linked to the 2004 kidnapping of businessman Rubin Kotsev, father of the current Mayor of Varna, Blagomir Kotsev, which resulted in a $500,000 ransom. Although the Specialized Prosecutor's Office brought charges against Ivanov in 2015 for contract killings and drug trafficking, he was fully acquitted by a Bulgarian court in September 2020.