Acting Chief Secretary of the Interior Ministry Lyubomir Nikolov said Bulgarian authorities have found no evidence that fentanyl produced in the recently dismantled laboratory in Sofia was exported abroad, stressing that all identified shipments were intercepted before leaving the country.
Speaking after police uncovered an illegal fentanyl production facility in Sofia’s Faculty district, Nikolov said investigators have “not detected a single gram of imported or exported fentanyl.” According to him, all available evidence indicates that the drug was produced in Bulgaria and distributed through domestic trafficking networks.
The investigation began about four months ago in Ruse, where police first detected fentanyl shipments being sent from Sofia to other parts of the country. The probe eventually led officers to the production site, where they observed individuals entering daily wearing protective equipment and handling hazardous substances.
“The moment we established that individuals were entering the base daily with protective equipment and working with dangerous substances, we immediately moved in, because every gram released onto the market caused enormous harm,” Nikolov said.
Authorities said all materials seized from the laboratory are now being analyzed. While not every substance found is prohibited, Nikolov described the quality of the fentanyl as “quite good.” He added that police disrupted several planned drug deals and intercepted supplies through parallel operations targeting dealers in multiple cities.
According to Nikolov, investigators still do not know how long the laboratory had been operating. However, he said it is possible the dismantled facility was the only fentanyl laboratory in Bulgaria.
“If after the operation we see a shortage on the market or the drug disappears, it will mean we have done our job. But if distribution continues, we will look for other similar facilities. I am confident we will find them, if they exist,” he said.
The acting chief secretary noted that police have monitored the spread of fentanyl for the past three to four years, during which the synthetic opioid has “almost completely replaced heroin” on the Bulgarian drug market because it is cheaper and satisfies the same group of users.
Nikolov said the people operating the laboratory were not trained chemists but had educated themselves through online materials.
“They had read a great deal of literature and watched many videos on the Internet. Despite that, they were doing quite well because the quality of the material we found was high,” he said.
Responding to criticism over previous comments that drug users might experience withdrawal after the laboratory was shut down, Nikolov clarified that he had not wished suffering on anyone.
“It is absurd to think I would wish suffering on anyone. If addicted people continue to have access to this substance, there is no way for them to recover. Withdrawal is one of the stages of treatment. By limiting its spread, we can help many people stop using it,” he said.
Nikolov also highlighted another recent police success, describing the arrest of the leader of a Ukrainian organized criminal group as an example of strong international cooperation between Bulgarian and Ukrainian authorities. Unlike the fentanyl case, he said that investigation involved international drug distribution, with only a small portion of the narcotics remaining in Bulgaria.
The acting chief secretary said combating corruption also remains among the Interior Ministry’s top priorities. He cited investigations into alleged fraud involving public contracts for cleaning wells that were reportedly never serviced, as well as a scheme in which hotels on the Black Sea coast allegedly underpaid water bills while bribing utility employees. Four people have already been charged in that investigation, and Nikolov said more major cases are expected.
He also commented on the recent fatal assault on a young man following an online meeting, saying forensic examinations of video recordings are underway and investigators are working to establish the full facts.
“The girl knew the victim only through the Internet. The meeting was arranged in a deserted place, which suggests premeditation. He was severely beaten there, and later died from his injuries. We have no evidence that the victim displayed the behavior alleged in public discussions,” Nikolov said.
Addressing criticism over traffic disruptions caused by the recent wildfire near the Trakia Motorway, he defended the authorities’ response.
“The fire spread extremely aggressively within hours. We had no choice but to stop traffic because of the dense smoke. Helicopters were also deployed, and thanks to the efforts of our colleagues, the fire was brought under control in a relatively short time,” he said.