US Sees Bulgaria as Key Drugs Producer

[Crvena zvezda]

US Sees Bulgaria as Key Drugs Producer

19 09 2007 Sofia _ Apart from being a major point on the drugs transit route, Bulgaria is becoming an important producer of narcotics, a US State Department report has warned.

The trafficking of drugs, people and money remains a threat to Bulgaria due to its strategic location, according to the report on the world trade in narcotics in 2006.


Despite the Bulgarian government's repeated expressions of its commitment to combating serious crime, there have been no major drugs trafficking arrests to date.

Synthetic drugs, heroin, and cocaine are the main illegal substances transported through Bulgaria from Asia to drug users in western Europe, the State Department notes in its report released on Tuesday.


However, the Bulgarian authorities say heroin is now being smuggled through a longer route across the Caucasus and Russia.

Bulgarian-made synthetic drugs are illegally exported through Turkey to the markets of south-west Asia. In 2006, the Bulgarian authorities closed one illegal drug-producing laboratory, and seized 8,450 kg of drugs.

Petkan Iliev, an analyst at the Bulgarian Center for the Study of Democracy, argues that Bulgaria cannot be defined as a major centre of drug production. The amount of drugs produced in Bulgaria is not growing, but is decreasing, he says.

"Our studies indicate that synthetic drugs were produced in Bulgaria in earlier years as well," Iliev told Balkan Insight.

Bulgaria's Ministry of Internal Affairs did not comment on the US report. According to Interior Minister Rumen Petkov's latest report, four illegal laboratories for synthetic drugs were discovered in the last two years.

[Exeter]

The US is such a victim.

[Marcus Marulus]

Everybody knows who is the main producer of drugs in the world. The same country that is at the same time in an eternal war on drugs.

[Kan Yuvigi Asparukh]

I doubt that Bulgaria is really so key drugs producer and dangerous for USA. I dont't believe that the drugs cross the whole Europe and the Atlantic Ocean to reach the USA. So I think that the Americans should mind their own business and leave our authorities to what they have to do. The problem is that some of our most important politicians are taking part in these deals and they protect the biggest drug-barons.

[Crvena zvezda]

Originally Posted by Kan Yuvigi Asparukh

I doubt that Bulgaria is really so key drugs producer and dangerous for USA. I dont't believe that the drugs cross the whole Europe and the Atlantic Ocean to reach the USA. So I think that the Americans should mind their own business and leave our authorities to what they have to do. The problem is that some of our most important politicians are taking part in these deals and they protect the biggest drug-barons.

I have the same doubts. I doubt Bulgaria or Bulgarians are key drug producers. If any one in Bulgaria is profiting from the manufacturing and trafficking of illegal drugs it is probably Turks.

I also doubt drugs made in Asia are being shipped to America from Europe, especially when Bolivia and Columbia are much closer to the U.S. and they are often cited as major drug producers.

[Kernunnos]

Maybe they want to build a base in Bulgaria, so they are looking for a noble cause to justify an armed intervention.

How much this shall cost us?

[Crvena zvezda]

Originally Posted by Breha

Maybe they want to build a base in Bulgaria, so they are looking for a noble cause to justify an armed intervention.

How much this shall cost us?

They already have at least 1 base (possibly two) in Bulgaria. They plan more. given how Bulgaria's and (Romanias) government is open to having American presence in it's countries I doubt they'd need an excuse.

[Kan Yuvigi Asparukh]

At the moment Americans still do not have bases in Bulgaria, but our government has already signed an agreement and the bases will be established soon. But it's possible for the our politicians to have bargained for some money in return for the bases and that's the USA's reply