Italy’s Supreme Court Annuls 20-Year Prison Term of Alleged Drug Lord Evelin Banev

Italy’s Supreme Court of Cassation has annulled the 20-year prison term of Bulgarian Evelin Banev AKA Brendo for drug trafficking and returned the case for retrial to the Appellate Court of Milan.

The Milan-based court is to hold a new trial within a year, according to Bulgaria’s Legal World magazine and the 24 Hours daily.

The decision was taken at a 2-hour meeting.

Together with the appeal of Banev’s sentence, the three judges at Italy’s Supreme Court of Cassation also reviewed the appeals of 9 other people convicted under the so-called ‘Cocaine Kings’ affair, including Bulgarians Tinko Vasilev Garev, Nikolay Silvo Yovchev, Zahari Veselinov Markov, Matey Boev.

The other appeals were rejected by the Rome-based court, meaning that the sentences issued by the Appellate Court of Milan are final for them.

Garev is currently serving a different prison term in Milan, Markov is under house arrest in Rome, and Boev is also in an Italian prison.

On July 9, 2013, Banev was issued a 20-year prison term by an Italian court.

Banev was extradited to Italy after his arrest in Bulgaria in May 2012 in a special police operation codenamed "The Cocaine Kings."

In Bulgaria, Banev is tried for money laundering in the amount of BGN 21 M.