Bulgaria seizes over 1,000 shipments of drugs

Bulgarian customs officers have seized more than 1,000 shipments of narcotics in various forms, officials said on Thursday.



The seizures were made as part of an operation targeting drug trafficking carried out via online platforms and delivered through courier companies, the National Customs Agency (NCA) said.



The operation was a response to the "snowballing increase" in drug trafficking within the European Union (EU), and the drugs had been dispatched from European countries with more liberal regulations, the NCA said.



More than 10 inspections were carried out at the offices and terminals of all express courier companies, with customs officers focusing primarily on detecting and seizing shipments containing narcotics in the form of vapes, candies, lollipops, cookies, and marijuana.



The inspections also targeted other substances, such as synthetic and semi-synthetic cannabinoids and cannabis products, intended primarily for use by teenagers, the NCA said.



Investigations are underway. The agency warned that the trafficking of narcotics across the country's border, even within the EU, as well as all actions carried out with psychoactive substances in Bulgaria, lead to criminal or administrative liability.