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Nik Radev

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Nikolai-Minev Radev
Born29 January 1959
People's Republic of Bulgaria
Died15 April 2003(2003-04-15) (aged 44)
Coburg, Victoria, Australia
Other namesThe Russian
Occupation(s)Mob enforcer, extortionist, drug dealer, wrestler (formerly)[2][3][4]
Criminal statusDeceased
SpouseSylvia Bruno[5]
Children1 daughter[3]
Conviction(s)Armed robbery, assault, blackmail, extortion and rape[1]
Criminal penaltyShort prison terms

Nikolai-Minev Radev (Bulgarian: Николай "Ник" Радев; 29 January 1959 – 15 April 2003), nicknamed The Russian, was a Bulgarian career criminal and mobster who was involved in crime in Melbourne, Australia.

Biography

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Nik Radev relocated from his native Bulgaria (then known as the People's Republic of Bulgaria) to Australia in the early 1980s where he was granted refugee status. Unbeknownst to the Australian authorities, he already had an extensive criminal record in Bulgaria and had served time in both Bulgarian and Turkish prisons.[6]

Radev had a notoriety for his sadistic and ruthless behavior. He was known to terrorize his extortion clients until they complied with his demands.[7] It was reported that he once raped a man who owed him money in front of the man's own wife and children.[6] During his life he was jailed for assault, blackmail, threats to kill, extortion, firearm offences, armed robbery and drug charges.[3] According to police he was an enforcer for the Melbourne head of the Russian mafia, robbing drug dealers.[3]

Radev was shot and killed in Queen St Coburg on 15 April 2003, as part of a series of similar events that are commonly referred to as the Melbourne gangland killings.[8]

He was shot seven times in the head and chest in front of his bodyguard after he stood out from his black Mercedes-Benz CLK 500 convertible. A third person in Nik Radev's entourage was driving a light green 2000 Toyota Camry CSI sedan parked directly in front of his Mercedes-Benz near the corner of Queen & Reynard Streets, Coburg also witnessed the murder.[citation needed]

Victoria Police told The Age that they believed his death was planned by a father and son drug manufacturing team, and a hitman suspected of four other murders carried out the killing in a red Ford Falcon XR6 Turbo sedan. His associates Damien Cossu and Alfonso Traglia were with Radev at the time of the murder but claimed they could not identify the gunman, and were subsequently named by police as 'persons of interest'.[3]

Despite only having worked for eight months during the 1980s at a fish and chip shop, Radev was killed wearing Versace clothing and a $20,000 watch, and was buried in a gold-plated coffin.[9] Victorian Police suspect that Andrew Veniamin and Carl Williams were behind the killing.[3]

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Radev was portrayed by Don Hany in the Australian TV series Underbelly and the subsequent telemovie Underbelly Files: Tell Them Lucifer was Here.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Who really shot Nik the Russian?".
  2. ^ "Bulgarian Nick dies in flurry of shots". 17 April 2003.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Tough Nuts | Nikolai Radev | The Invader | S2E1, retrieved 5 December 2019
  4. ^ Dale, Paul; Petraitis, Vikki (25 February 2020). Cops, Drugs, Lawyer X and Me. Hachette Australia. ISBN 978-0-7336-4381-1.
  5. ^ "News: Criminal Wives of Australia in a New Book By Rochelle Jackson". MysteryTribune. 27 February 2012. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  6. ^ a b "Tough Nuts, Thursday, June 30". 29 June 2011.
  7. ^ "Nikolai Radev "The Invader" | Australian Crime Stories | True Crime Central". YouTube. 31 December 2022.
  8. ^ "Gun-toting bully died as he lived". www.heraldsun.com.au. 16 April 2003. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  9. ^ Silvester, John; Rule, Andrew (2008). Underbelly : the Gangland war. Australia: Sly Ink/Floradale Publishing. p. 68. ISBN 978-0977544066.
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