The Iliev Brothers — Faces of Bulgaria’s Emerging Mafia in the 1990s
Origins and Rise
Vasil and Georgi Iliev remain in Bulgarian history as multifaceted symbols of the nascent mafia during the country’s turbulent post-communist transition in the early 1990s. The older brother, Vasil, died very young, never fully realizing his intellectual potential. On April 25, 22 years ago, the founder of the emblematic criminal group was gunned down in a hail of bullets inside his luxury Mercedes on a torn-up Sofia street. That day, the mob boss was headed to “Mirage” restaurant — a gathering place for the budding wrestling elite — where the family planned to celebrate their mother’s birthday.
Vasil quickly and decisively amassed a fortune through racketeering, fuel smuggling, and drug trafficking.
Sporting Background Turned Criminal
His brother Georgi died in 2005, as reported by Standart in a retrospective article. The key figures of Bulgaria’s emerging mafia were mostly athletes from former sports schools. In the two years after the fall of communism in 1989, students from the “Olympic Hopes” school realized that the era of state-sponsored sports was over. Among them were Vasil Iliev, Iliya Pavlov, Dimitar Djamov, Atanas Komshev, Mladen Mihalev-Madzho — all future titans in Bulgaria’s gray and black capitalism.
Vasil’s Path to Crime
Vasil’s path was especially fated. In the mid-1980s, the wrestling federation denied the then 20-year-old athlete a spot at the European championship. He went into military service and soon after embarked on the gangster path. In 1987, Vasil traveled to Czechoslovakia, where he met Ivo Karamanaski — the top Bulgarian mafia boss abroad, involved in car thefts, armed robberies, and contract beatings.
Seven or eight months later, Vasil was arrested with a friend nicknamed “Drobetsa” and spent two months in a Czech prison on robbery charges. Together with Karamanaski, they stole cars and committed fraud involving currency, gold, and more.
The Foundation of V.I.S.
Born in 1965, Vasil, and his younger brother Georgi (born a year later), registered V.I.S. in 1991. Having gained firsthand experience with mafia structures, the smarter Vasil became the leading figure of the organization, which was built on the principle: “Loyalty, Investment, Security.”
Their business partners included Plamen Tinev “Gandhi”, Nikolay Tsvetin, Pencho Mladenov, Anton Boyanov, and Veselin Yotov. The group started out offering security services — for bars and nightclubs. Soon after, the organization spread nationwide — over 150 companies operated under the V.I.S. umbrella, all following Vasil Iliev’s orders.
The Yugoslav Embargo and Big Money
The big opportunity came with the Yugoslav embargo in the summer of 1993. Trainloads of goods crossed the border like a parade, and V.I.S., along with Iliya Pavlov’s “Multigroup”, was among the most active players. All of it, of course, happened under the state’s lenient eye. Even if the authorities wanted to stop it, they couldn’t. “We issued an order — if a train passes the border, shoot it,” confessed a former security advisor from Lyuben Berov’s caretaker government to Standart. But no shots were fired — no one dared to stand against the rising power of the mafia.
Idolized or Condemned?
“The brothers are debated, condemned, and even idolized. They are the rulers in an extreme psychological experiment, in a world of contrasts and unpredictability,” wrote Bulgaria’s foremost chronicler of the family, Nadya Cholakova, in her book series Live Fast.
She conducted the first public interview with Georgi Iliev around twenty days after the death of Vasil Iliev in 1995, published in Standart. “We were wrestlers — now we are businessmen,” Georgi declared.
Georgi Takes Over
The minor detail was that under Georgi’s leadership, V.I.S. never truly managed to step out of the grey and black sectors into legitimate business, unlike their rivals from S.I.C. “In their short lives, fate offered them the full menu — indulgence, stress, good, evil, popularity, all in maximum doses. To this day, they still have enemies — and fans — on both ends of the spectrum: some love Vasil and hate Georgi, and vice versa,” says Cholakova.
Vasil’s Vision for His Brother
The truth is that both brothers had the charisma of bad boys with charm — the kind who succeed in life. Vasil had been preparing Georgi to take over the group, convinced that his own time was running out. Despite their completely different personalities, Vasil was determined to give his brother a chance at leadership.
Alleged Rivalry and Betrayal
As absurd as it may seem, there’s even a version of events suggesting that the hit on Vasil Iliev was ordered by his own brother. Georgi was allegedly consumed by envy toward Vasil’s famed cleverness and strategic mind. In the mid-1990s, V.I.S. enjoyed the favor of the socialist BSP party, while later aligning with SDS.
Politics and Corruption
Politicians didn’t hesitate to take a cut of the organization’s money. It’s said that during one of the election campaigns of 1994–1995, V.I.S. handed over 2 million leva to the mother party. Later, Georgi Iliev reportedly asked one of the party officials: “What did we give you that money for?” The politician replied: “You had it, so you gave it.” Georgi responded: “Your career ends here.”
Georgi Becomes “The Boss”
Georgi Iliev waited 40 days after his brother’s death. In the end, he decided to carry the cross. He bore it for the next nine years, until 2004 — a period that earned him the nickname “The Boss.”
Crime and Control
Georgi Iliev, known as “The Boss,” further developed the criminal organization. Unlike their competitors from S.I.C., the members of V.I.S. remained permanently embedded in the world of goods smuggling, narcotics, and internal feuds.
Criminal Record and Violence
Georgi’s criminal record began at the age of 17. Over the years, it included theft, gang rape, car theft, fake documents, assault, and hooliganism. A court fined him and ordered compensation for beating businessman Slavi Binev in 2000.
International Ambitions and Cocaine Scandal
Georgi maintained smuggling channels and later tried expanding into heroin and cocaine trafficking. The murder of Kosyo Samokovetsa in 2003, and the 2005 Spanish cocaine bust aboard yacht “Esprita” involving 819 kilograms, marked the beginning of the end.
The Assassination
On July 22, Georgi told a friend: “You know this is my last birthday.” On August 25, 2005, he was assassinated by a sniper in front of his “Buddha Bar” in Sunny Beach. In 2014, the Ministry of Interior blamed the group of Rayko Kravtata for the hit.
Legacy and Love
Both brothers were killed with Serbian “Zagi” submachine guns. Georgi’s only love was Maya, who had the blessing of his brother Vasil. Their wedding seemed cursed, according to Bulgarian folklore.
Family and Memory
Before his death, Georgi and Maya adopted two daughters, Krista and Andrea. Maya raised them well, providing elite education and extracurricular training. Vasil’s first love was gymnast Silvia Dzhudzharova, and later he married athlete Marieta. Their daughter, Yvonne, went on to become a successful businesswoman.
Symbolism and Myth
A gold medallion blessed by Vanga was said to protect Vasil but was not with him on the day he died. Rado Shisharkata even dedicated a hit chalga song, “Tigre, Tigre,” to Vasil Iliev, symbolizing his lasting influence over Bulgaria’s underworld and pop-folk scene.
