A court in Haskovo has kept Syrian national Hussein Alrhal in custody. He is charged with trying to smuggle 43.160 kg of cocaine through the Kapitan Andreevo border crossing with Turkey.

The panel, led by judge Stratimir Dimitrov, rejected a request for a lighter measure. He was placed in custody in August. The offence carries 15 to 20 years in prison.

The court said the evidence gathered so far largely supports the charge. It includes crime scene inspection reports, records of foreign trips, video footage and witness statements.

The court linked the risk of flight to the seriousness of the charge, the lack of any known ties to Bulgaria and the defendant's travel through several countries. It said there was no sign that his health stops him from staying in pre-trial detention.

His lawyer, Martin Kantarev, asked for custody to be replaced with bail. He said the reasonable suspicion of a crime is no stronger than it was then, and there is no sign that the defendant would flee or reoffend. Kantarev also cited the European Convention on Human Rights.

Prosecutor Anton Stoyanov of the district prosecutor's office opposed any change. He said the defendant was detained after being put on a wanted list for leaving the country. The prosecution pointed to the travel records, the contents of his mobile phone and his overall conduct. The defendant's explanations, the prosecutor said, do not shake the suspicion of involvement and confirm the risk of flight.

In court, Alrhal said he has two wives and eight children and lives in Sweden. He said he came to Sofia after being told he was wanted. If he had put the cocaine in the truck, he said, he would not have come to Bulgaria but would have gone to Syria. He said he is innocent and in his last word called for justice.

The sides have three days to appeal to the Court of Appeal in Plovdiv.