Stanislav Stamenov. (Illustrative image: Daily Maverick) Fugitive gym trainer Stanislav Stamenov allegedly obtained a permanent residence permit in South Africa via misrepresentation, a court in Cape Town has heard.
Stamenov, from Bulgaria, appeared in the Wynberg Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, 18 March, for a bail application.
Authorities caught up with Stamenov in late February, weeks after Daily Maverick revealed that the personal trainer — then offering his services as a personal trainer at a Virgin Active gym in the upmarket Cape Town suburb of Constantia — was actually a convicted drug trafficker fleeing a prison sentence in Romania.
Virgin Active has since cut ties with him.
Stamenov now faces potential extradition to Romania, where in 2009 he was sentenced to 16 years’ imprisonment for trafficking in heroin.
His permanent residence permit in South Africa was a point of contention during his bail application on Wednesday, and there is now a request that it be withdrawn.
The court also heard Stamenov had a South African identity document, which “according to the Department of Home Affairs [...] was fraudulently obtained”.
If the department withdraws his permanent residence, as it intends to do, Stamenov will be an illegal immigrant in South Africa.
Daily Maverick understands that he has submitted that he never tried to evade the police and that some of his clients proffered character references in his support, describing him as “dedicated” and “professional”.
‘Misrepresentation’
During the court proceedings in Wynberg, the State referred to an affidavit by Sergeant Kabelo Seanago, an SAPS member stationed at the Interpol National Central Bureau in Pretoria, to back its stance that Stamenov should not be released on bail.
In his affidavit, Seanago said, “It is evident that the accused should not be a Permanent Residence holder in South Africa, due to the fact that Permanent Residency was obtained through misrepresentation.
“Mr Stamenov submitted a fraudulent supporting document when he applied for [a] Permanent Residence Permit.
“It is common knowledge that the borders surrounding South Africa are porous and susceptible to corruption.”
/file/attachments/orphans/ED_598946_897569.jpg "Stanislav Stamenov appears in the Wynberg Magistrates’ Court on 4 March. (Photo Brenton Geach / Gallo Images)")
Department of Home Affairs records show that Stamenov’s permanent residence permit was approved following his application on 19 September 2019.
Among the supporting documents he included in his application was a doctor’s report.
When Seanago visited the centre in Johannesburg where the doctor apparently worked, someone there said the doctor had closed the practice about seven years ago when retiring.
“On the copy of a Medical Report submitted by Mr Stamenov, I observed an address [... in] Johannesburg. The address does not exist,” Seanago said.
‘Undesirable person’
Passport copies attached to the permanent residence application showed the following:
- 11 January 2011 — entry at OR Tambo International Airport;
- 7 June 2012 — departure from Cape Town International;
- 12 February 2012 — entry at OR Tambo International Airport; and
- 11 November 2013 — departure from Cape Town International Airport.
“Regardless of the entry and departure stamps reflected in the application for the Permanent Residence permit submitted by [Stamenov] reflecting no entry during the time of the application, the Department still approved the Permanent Residence permit,” according to Seanago’s affidavit.
“Prior to the departure of Mr Stamenov on the 11th of November 2013, he had stayed in the Republic for a period of 7 months and 29 days illegally; therefore, Mr Stamenov became an Undesirable Person.”
That designation was further reinforced by his 2009 heroin trafficking conviction in Romania. However, the legal net tightened even further in 2013; according to Seanago, the issuance of a Romanian arrest warrant reclassified Stamenov as a “Prohibited Person”.
/file/attachments/orphans/Stanislav-Stamenov-as-depicted-on-an-Interpol-red-notice-screegrabbed-on-23-January-2026_579206.jpg "An Interpol Red Notice for Stanislav Stamenov. (Image: Supplied)")
The affidavit added: “The Department of Home Affairs intends to request that the Minister withdraw the Permanent Residence of Mr Stamenov, due to the fact that he was convicted and sentenced and issued with [a] warrant of arrest by Romanian authorities when the Permanent Residence was granted.”
Confirmed fugitive
In January, Daily Maverick reported that Stamenov was the subject of an Interpol Red Notice, the international police organisation’s highest-level alert for the provisional arrest of fugitives.
In his affidavit, Seanago said the investigation into Stamenov began after Daily Maverick revealed that he was wanted in Romania, while offering his personal training services at the Virgin Active gym in Constantia.
“During the month of January, 2026, Daily Maverick News reported a story regarding a wanted fugitive working at Constantia Virgin Active,” wrote Seanago.
“I conducted my investigation regarding the reported story by searching the status of the alleged wanted fugitive as reported by Daily Maverick on [the] Interpol Notices database system.
“My investigation on the Interpol Notices database system confirms that indeed the alleged wanted fugitive, Mr Stamenov Stanislav Sevdanilov, is published on the Interpol [website] with Red Notice Control.” (This was how Daily Maverick had ascertained Stamenov was wanted in Romania.)
Kamenov connection
Seanago said Stamenov was arrested at the end of February at a residence in Evergreen Lane in Constantia.
“The arresting team has informed me that Mr Stamenov indicated that he is not the owner of the property; however, he has occupied the house upon request by the family of the owner (deceased).”
The home belongs to the Kamenov Trust, which is linked to Krasimir Kamenov, also from Bulgaria, where he was wanted in connection with the murder of a police officer.
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Caryn-Prigozhin-toxic-web-2.jpg "Krasimir Kamenov was one of four people murdered in Constantia, Cape Town, on 25 May 2023. He was wanted by Bulgarian authorities. (Photo: Interpol website. Image sharpened by AI)")
Kamenov was fatally shot on 25 May 2023, along with his wife, Gergana, and two of their employees, at his home in Constantia. All four were from Bulgaria.
Netwerk24 has reported that Stamenov was employed as a bodyguard by Kamenov.
However, Stamenov’s affidavit in his bail application said he had provided personal training services to Kamenov.
The bail application is expected to resume on 24 March, and Stamenov remains in custody. DM