State dismisses claims that fugitive Stamenov's arrest was unlawful

The prosecution in the extradition hearing of Bulgarian national Stanislav Stamenov has dismissed claims that his arrest was unlawful.

Stamenov was arrested on Friday after an Interpol red notice was issued for his arrest.

He made his first appearance in the Wynberg Magistrate's Court on Monday.

In 2009, a Romanian court sentenced Stamenov to 16 years behind bars for his role in a drug trafficking syndicate.

His legal representative argued that Romanian authorities failed to follow proper diplomatic channels.

Stamenov's lawyer, William Booth, maintains that an extradition request should have been formally submitted to South Africa’s Justice Minister to secure a valid arrest warrant.

Booth argued that an Interpol red notice does not amount to such a warrant.

However, National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said police acted within the law when they arrested Stamenov.

"The police had a right in terms of the law to arrest the accused on a red notice as the state has received a letter of request from the Romanian government for the accused to be sent back to Romania to serve the 16 years of direct imprisonment."

The court also heard that Stamenov has been living in Cape Town for the past 16 years.

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