Ivailo Kalushev: Witness Claims He Presented Dead Boy as Son | Bulgaria News

Petrohan Case Deepens: Missing Teen, Allegations of Intimate Relationships, and Questions of Cult Activity

Bulgaria is grappling with a disturbing criminal case centered around the deaths of six individuals in the Western Stara Planina mountains. The investigation has revealed connections to a non-governmental organization, the National Agency for Control of Protected Areas, and has sparked speculation about a possible cult-like structure and the disappearance of a teenage boy.

The case began on February 2, 2026, when three bodies were discovered at the former Petrohan lodge. All three men had been shot in the head, according to the mayor of the village of Gintsi, with two sustaining wounds to the temple and the third under the chin. A week later, on Sunday, February 9, 2026, three more bodies were found with gunshot wounds inside a camper near Okolchitsa Peak in the Vratsa Balkan. Police have confirmed these men were the same individuals previously sought in connection with the deaths at the lodge.

Authorities have been tight-lipped about details, but National Police Director Chief Commissioner Zahari Vaskov stated the camper belonged to individuals associated with the National Agency for Control of Protected Areas. He added that the shootings occurred inside the vehicle. A senior police official from Vratsa described finding one of the bodies with his face pressed against the glass.

The investigation has uncovered disturbing allegations surrounding Ivaylo Kalushev, referred to as a “lama” by some, and his relationships with young men. A man, whose identity is being protected, testified to investigators that he was part of Kalushev’s group and lived with him in Mexico as a 15-year-old. The man’s mother reportedly paid 150,000 euros for his education in Mexico around 2013, covering diving, spiritual development, and speleology.

The witness further alleged he had intimate relations with Kalushev and revealed other intimate connections between men who reportedly had no interest in women and believed themselves to be self-sufficient. He stated he wasn’t forced into these relationships, but rather perceived them as normal and part of the group’s lifestyle and his personal growth under Kalushev’s mentorship.

The former partner left Mexico after Kalushev began to focus more attention on another minor, identified as 11- or 12-year-old Nikolai Zlatkov, who was born in 2003 and has now been identified as one of the deceased found in the camper. According to the witness, Nikolai’s parents divorced when he was four years old, and he remained with his mother, who became deeply religious after falling into depression. She then entrusted Nikolai to Kalushev. The boy’s father attempted to separate him from Kalushev’s influence, but Nikolai was reportedly very attached to him, with Kalushev even presenting the boy as his son.

The Forestry Agency has reported that the National Agency for Control of Protected Areas has not filed any reports of illegal logging in the area around the Petrohan hut. An inspection also revealed unclear financing for the organization, with financial statements not declaring any income from business activities.

The last confirmed sighting of Kalushev was on February 2, 2026, traveling towards Burgas. Traces of Kalushev then disappeared on third-class roads after Burgas, heading towards the village of Bulgari. On January 29, 2026, Yani Makulev, the father of the missing 15-year-old boy, reportedly spoke to his son while both were in the Strandzha village of Bulgari with Kalushev. The camper was then spotted traveling towards Sofia and Petrohan on January 30, 2026, and again in the opposite direction in the early hours of February 2, 2026. The phones of the three wanted men were switched off in the evening hours of February 1, 2026, with geolocation data placing them in the Barziya – Petrohan – Gintsi area.

The Ministry of Interior and the prosecutor’s office have remained largely silent, releasing limited official information, leaving much of the details to emerge from unofficial sources. The case continues to draw significant public attention in Bulgaria, fueled by a lack of clarity and a proliferation of speculation and conspiracy theories.