Bulgarian police are questioning a Roma couple who might be the biological parents of Maria, a mysterious blonde girl found in a Greek Roma camp, media have reported.
According to the reports on Thursday, the couple, named as Sasha Ruseva and Atanas Rusev, have between eight and 10 children, five of whom are blonde and even closely resemble the girl found last week.
One of the children, Jesus, was cited in the BGNES news agency as saying that the family had been in Greece and had left Maria there when they returned to Bulgaria.
The mother had also reportedly told one of their neighbours that she had sold the child for 500 leva (250 euros), and that she had recognised Maria when her discovery made global headlines this week.
Public BNT television and BNR radio said the couple came from the central Bulgarian town of Nikolaevo.
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The interior ministry has refused to comment.
Greek police have sought global help via Interpol to help identify the blonde girl whose discovery in a Roma camp near Farsala has sparked worldwide concern and interest in other child disappearance cases.
The Greek Roma couple, a 39-year-old man and his 40-year-old wife, who were detained for allegedly abducting her had denied the charges, saying that she was voluntarily handed over by her Bulgarian Roma mother who could not care for her.
