Bulgaria Replaces Turkey as Synthetic Drug Production Hub

According to the report in the past year, Bulgaria has changed from being primarily an important drug-transit country into being as well an important producer of narcotics. It points out that the use of synthetic drugs has overtaken the use of heroin, formerly the most widely used drug in Bulgaria.

"Bulgaria is a major transit country as well as a producer of illicit narcotics. Strategically situated on Balkan transit routes, Bulgaria is vulnerable to illegal flows of drugs, people, contraband and money. Heroin moves through Bulgaria from Southwest Asia, while chemicals used for making heroin move from the former Yugoslavia to Turkey and beyond. It is estimated that 80 percent of the heroin distributed in Europe was first transported through Bulgaria. Marijuana and cocaine also continue to be transported through Bulgaria."

The reports states that the Bulgarian government has continued to make progress in improving its law enforcement capabilities and customs services, but major structural deficiencies remain.

The United States recommends the Government of Bulgaria to overhaul the Code of Criminal Procedure; modernize the criminal code, make structural reforms to the judicial system; increase resources for training investigators, prosecutors and judges. It would also like to see better cooperation between police and prosecutors and implementation of the anticorruption program, continuing reforms in the Customs service and adequate witness protection mechanisms.

The 2003 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR) is an annual report by the Department of State to Congress prepared in accordance with the Foreign Assistance Act. It describes the efforts of key countries to attack all aspects of the international drug trade in Calendar Year 2003. The first part covers drug and chemical control activities, while the second deals with money laundering and financial crimes.