Sofia court detains suspect in car arson extortion plot

A suspect remains in custody following a series of car arsons in the Sofia neighborhoods of Lagera and Hipodruma on September 9. The Sofia City Court ordered the heaviest preventive measure, detention under guard, despite defense requests for house arrest.

Prosecutors revealed that the arson attacks were part of an extortion plot targeting insurance companies. The perpetrators allegedly intended to demand 500,000 euros in cryptocurrency, threatening to burn more vehicles every 10 days if the demands were not met. While the extortion attempt was not completed, the investigation is ongoing.

Authorities reported that 13 cars were either partially or fully destroyed. During the investigation, police detained a man whose vehicle contained canisters of flammable liquid, which he reportedly obtained from the actual perpetrators.