The arrest of alleged crime boss and undercover secret service agent Alexei Petrov was a case for the Bulgarian authorities and there was no role for the US embassy, a US embassy statement sent to The Sofia Echo said on February 18 2010.

The statement was the US embassy's response to Petrov's request from February 17 to have a meeting with newly appointed US ambassador James Warlick.

Petrov's lawyer Roumyana Radkova filed the request on his behalf at the US embassy as Petrov was under arrest.

Petrov was among seven people arrested on February 9 as part of a police operation dubbed Octopus. The operation was launched against an organised crime group suspected of economic offences, extortion, money laundering, tax evasion, prostitution, racketeering and human trafficking.

In the letter to the US ambassador, Petrov said that he asked for the meeting because he had no other way to respond to the negative PR campaign which had been launched against him.

Petrov chose Warlick because he had commented on his arrest. In a statement sent out on February 11, Warlick congratulated Bulgarian authorities on recent arrests in what was known as operation Octopus.

"Ending the culture of impunity by ridding the streets of criminals is essential to strengthening the rule of law. The Bulgarian legal system now has the opportunity to make a significant impact on the safety and security of the Bulgarian people," Warlick said.

"The United States congratulates all law enforcement personnel involved in the courageous and professional actions they took in apprehending some of the most notorious suspected criminal figures in Bulgaria," Warlick said.

On February 16 ambassadors of European Union member states in Sofia also sent a letter to Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borissov commending recent actions against crime and corruption.