Christchurch mosque shooting: Probe into Brenton Tarrant's recent eastern Europe trip

Alleged Christchurch mosque shooter Brenton Tarrant's recent trip to eastern Europe is being investigated by authorities.

Bulgarian officials have confirmed that the 28-year-old Australian national was in Bulgaria last November.

Prosecutor-General Sotir Tsatsarov has spoken after a special meeting of security, intelligence and law enforcement chiefs called in Sofia by Prime Minister Boiko Borissov in the wake of the Christchurch terror attack.

Sources in Bulgaria have told the Herald that while watching the dramatic coverage emerge from New Zealand, they noticed Cryllic script and eastern European inscriptions on the automatic rifle magazines found at shooting scenes.

The markings included the names of famous battles and historical figures who fought against Ottoman rule.

Authorities have confirmed that victims with Turkish heritage were among the 49 killed in yesterday's massacre.

Tsatsarov told Bulgarian media in Sofia that Tarrant had been in Bulgaria between November 9 and 15 last year, after arriving on a flight from Dubai.

He had hired a car and travelled on a route from Sofia via Pleven, Gabrovo, Bachovo, Kazanluk, Blagoevgrad and Pernik, including other places in Bulgaria, the Sofia Globe reports.

"Tarrant apparently visited various places in Bulgaria, including Dryanovo, Pleven, Blagoevgrad, Plovdiv, Asenovgrad, Bachkovo and Bansko," the news outlet said.

"From Bulgaria, he had flown to Bucharest, from where he rented a car and went on Hungary."

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed today that Tarrant had travelled around the world with "sporadic periods of time spent in New Zealand".

Tarrant had talked online about a supposed trip to Pakistan.

He had been living in Dunedin. There is a large police presence at his Dunedin address.

Locals have described him as both quiet and someone who liked to talk about his travels.

Police said there were five guns used in the attacks, with two semi-automatic weapons, two shotguns, and a lever action firearm recovered from the scenes.

Ardern said that Tarrant was in possession of a gun licence, acquired in November 2017.
Tarrant is a member of a South Otago gun club and had been practising shooting at its range, it was confirmed today.