Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Cocaine worth over 400 thousand leva seized near Simitli

Photo: Facebook/gdbop.bg

A specialized police operation by the Directorate of the Bulgarian Anti-Drug and Drug Enforcement Administration (GDBOP) uncovered an organized crime group operating in the Blagoevgrad region, related to the distribution of narcotics. 

5 kg of cocaine worth over 400 thousand leva were seized, 7 people were charged, 5 of them were detained for 72 hours, BGNES reported. 

One of the detainees is Ognyan Atanasov, called by journalists "the Bulgarian Escobar". In 2019, Atanasov received a 15-year sentence from the Court of Appeal in Thessaloniki for importing, trafficking and selling drugs in Greece. He was transferred to serve his sentence in Bulgaria. At the end of 2022, he was pardoned and released from prison, BNT reports.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Bulgarian producers want more farmers' markets

The situation in the country illustrates the urgent need for the state to create conditions for holding more farmers' markets, where farmers can sell their produce directly to consumers. This was stated by the Bulgarian Farmers' Union in connection..

published on 2/20/25 5:31 PM
Stanislav Balabanov

Bulgarian Parliament to issue declaration against sending Bulgarian soldiers to Ukraine

Over 70% of Bulgarians are categorically against sending a military contingent to Ukraine. This was stated by Dimitar Ganev from the sociological agency “Trend” in an interview for the Bulgarian National Radio. President Radev opposes sending..

published on 2/20/25 1:14 PM

No one has requested Bulgaria's participation in a peacekeeping operation in Ukraine

Nowhere and in no way has anyone discussed the issue of sending troops to Ukraine to participate in hostilities between Russia and Ukraine, Bulgaria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Georg Georgiev told MPs in parliament. Foreign Minister Georgiev..

published on 2/20/25 11:34 AM