The Bulgarian State Anti-Corruption Bureau, the National Agency for the Protection of the Environment and the Public Security and the Prosecutor's Office provided information about the drug factory discovered in the galleries of the former mine in the village of Garlyano, Kyustendil region.
The specialized police operation began on April 23. The operation is to neutralize an organized crime group for drug distribution, drug trafficking and money laundering. The group is armed.
70 kilograms of drugs and a large sum of money were seized. Three people were detained. A fourth is being sought. The owner of the mine is not among those detained. A fish pond has been built above the mine.
The greenhouses were in former lead-zinc mines, which were privatized in the past. These are over 20 galleries with equipment for growing cannabis plants.
The organization has built many underground rooms. The greenhouses are unprecedented in their scale. Investigators will seek help from mining specialists to assist with the terrain. According to them, the drugs were intended for Turkey and the Middle East.
The three detainees traveled from Sofia to Kyustendil. As part of the investigation, searches were carried out on 10 properties and vehicles. At an address in Kyustendil, investigators found nearly 600,000 euros in cash and over 600 rounds of ammunition for firearms of various calibers.