A shocking 40% of the field drug tests used by the police are invalid. This means that they give either a false positive or a false negative result. This was stated in the “Interview in NOVA News“ by lawyer Elitsa Buenova, referring to data from a survey she conducted among the regional directorates of the Ministry of Interior. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that even the blood samples, which should be the arbitrator, already give wrong results, and the injured drivers are left without their licenses for months and with a stain on their police records.
“After sending inquiries, it was found that 20% of the tests are false positives, which automatically corresponds to 20% false negatives. This makes 40% of the tests invalid“, explained lawyer Buenova. According to her, while the manufacturers of the German tests give an acceptable error of about 10%, the huge difference in our country is mainly due to non-compliance with procedures by police officers.
“For me, the main reason is that the procedure is not followed - expiration dates, storage, method of opening, lack of contamination. I have not seen or heard of a police officer doing this test with gloves, and this is mandatory according to the management in order to reduce the possibility of contamination of the sample“, she was categorical.
The consequences for drivers with a false positive field test are immediate and severe – arrest, personal search, search of the home and car, revocation of the driver's license and temporary suspension of the vehicle's registration.
However, the hope for a quick exoneration through a blood test also turns out to be illusory.
„Unfortunately, according to the latest data, even a blood test is not a guarantee. The latest new laboratory at the Ministry of Interior already has false positive blood tests, which is the most stressful thing at the moment“, revealed lawyer Buenova.
The problem is also complicated by the fact that there are only four laboratories in the whole of Bulgaria that process blood samples. In one of them, there are currently about 600 samples waiting. Until the result comes out, which can take months, the driver remains without a license. Even after being acquitted, he remains in the police registers and is subject to continuous checks.
Lawyer Buenova advised drivers undergoing a test to carefully monitor the expiration date of the test, the integrity of the packaging and whether the police officer follows the procedure, including wearing gloves. She called on the state to take urgent measures and introduce a unified methodology for the work of the laboratories, as well as control over their activities.