Security expert from the Center for the Study of Democracy Tihomir Bezlov described the dismantled fentanyl laboratory in Sofia to BNT as an extremely important breakthrough in the investigation of one of the most dangerous synthetic drugs. According to him, the most significant fact is not only the quantity of the seized substance, but the proof that the drug is already being produced in Bulgaria.
Tihomir Bezlov, Center for the Study of Democracy: “The quantity is sufficient, but more importantly, we are already talking about production. For two years, everyone - police, customs, criminologists and doctors - have been asking themselves where fentanyl comes from in Bulgaria. There were various hypotheses, including that it was imported by Mexican cartels, but the discovery of this laboratory shows that at least some of it was produced here.“
Bezlov emphasized that fentanyl is an extremely valuable drug in medicine, but outside a strictly controlled environment it becomes a deadly drug because of the minimal difference between use and overdose.
„Fentanyl is a vital medical opioid, used for pain relief and anesthesia, but in hospital settings the dosage is extremely precise. With illegal production, this is almost impossible. We are talking about milligrams - a person can overdose with an amount comparable to a few grains of salt. That is why the mortality rate is so high.“
According to the expert, this particular feature is at the heart of the synthetic opioid crisis in the US.
Tikhomir Bezlov, Center for the Study of Democracy: “The fentanyl epidemic continues in the US with tens of thousands of deaths per year. When this drug began to enter en masse, the number of victims increased sharply. We began to observe a similar trend in Bulgaria - if before the deaths from heroin were single, in the last two years the cases related to fentanyl have already numbered in the dozens.“
According to him, Bulgaria is proving to be an unusual phenomenon on the map of Europe.
“If you look at the countries around us - Turkey, Romania, Serbia, the Czech Republic, Austria - there is no similar spread of illegal fentanyl. There is medical fentanyl, but not a mortality rate like the one we started to see here. From a criminological point of view, Bulgaria has become an exception.“
Bezlov explained that the spread of synthetic opioids is also related to the decline in heroin production after restrictions on opium poppy in Afghanistan.
Tikhomir Bezlov, Center for the Study of Democracy: “After the arrival of the Taliban, a serious struggle began with the production of opium poppy. This led to a shortage of heroin and many analysts expected an attempt to replace it with synthetic opioids. This is exactly what we began to observe in Bulgaria.“
According to him, the claims of the detainees that they themselves mastered the technology via the Internet are more likely a defensive version. The expert also commented on the way in which, according to official information, the laboratory was discovered.
“According to the information of the General Directorate for the Study of Democracy, the investigation began with street distribution. Four dealers were tracked, then couriers, and so gradually they reached the laboratory itself.“
Bezlov warned that the biggest risk is not only the use of fentanyl as a stand-alone drug, but its mixing with other substances.
“Doctors are already reporting that they are finding traces of fentanyl in people who have used cocaine, as well as in the so-called “herb“. The danger is that dealers add it to enhance the effect and make users addicted. So a person may think that they are using cocaine for a party, but in fact develop a severe addiction to fentanyl.“