The search for 11-year-old Natalia Asenova from the Varna village of Konstantinovo continues for the fifth day, and so far there are no new traces of either the girl or the 40-year-old man with whom she is supposedly with. Despite the round-the-clock efforts of the police and volunteers, there is still no result from the operation, NOVA reported.
A separate assembly point has been set up in the village of Sindel, where police officers distribute the volunteers and coordinate their actions.
According to the director of the police, the 40-year-old man has experience in hiding. He managed to hide from law enforcement for two weeks in the past. According to experts, the man is able to traverse difficult terrain, hide in caves and uninhabited houses, and find food, which shows that he is extremely adaptable. In this case, however, he is accompanied by a small child.
The mayor of the village of Sindel, Plamen Lazarov, spoke about the scale of yesterday's operation. “Abandoned houses were checked, abandoned buildings were checked, the entire terrain around the village and in other villages was searched. There were checkpoints, every car was checked at the entrance and exit“, he explained. Despite opening the trunks and detailed checks of every passing car, no trace has been found.
Lazarov specified that today the operation will continue with a search of the same terrain. There are abandoned houses, caves and shelters in the area that can serve as a hiding place. The mayor also commented on the reports submitted to the police: “A reliable person submitted the first report – a person who works at the station, so we completely believe him. The other report, which is more genuine, is from the train driver who saw them moving along the railway line“.
The person submitting the first report described the man as having a beardier appearance than he does in the photos released by the police. According to him, the child walked with the man at a distance of two to three meters, completely voluntarily and without visible signs of violence.
Mayor Lazarov made an important appeal to all citizens who notice the wanted persons: “If anyone notices the two wanted persons, simply report first to 112, and do not try to contact their relatives“. This appeal comes in response to the many reports that people have first submitted to the family, and only then to the law enforcement agencies.