site.btaSeven Detained over Laughing Gas Distribution in Sozopol

Police detained seven people over suspected laughing gas distribution along the Southern Black Sea Coast, Sozopol Police Department Chief Inspector Ivaylo Dragiev said on Thursday. About 440 kg of laughing gas was seized.

The detainees are from various parts of Bulgaria and had been doing seasonal work in Sozopol and nearby resorts, Dragiev said.

Preliminary information indicates they were part of an organized network distributing laughing gas along the Southern Black Sea coast, with each linked in different ways to the seized consignment. The record haul, about 440 kg, was delivered on a pallet to the resort town and readied for distribution to entertainment venues.

Dragiev said police received a tip earlier on Thursday that a large quantity of laughing gas was to be delivered to the Billa supermarket in Sozopol for onward distribution to discos, bars and other venues along the Southern Black Sea coast.

“After receiving the tip-off, we took the necessary measures. At one point, we found a pallet in the store car park, next to three cars. People from one of the cars began moving boxes of laughing gas into another car, after which we intervened,” Dragiev said.

The pallet was unloaded by the supplier at about 5 pm on Thursday. Police found 80 boxes containing large 5 kg canisters of laughing gas. The total amount seized was 440 kg.

The operation is part of Interior Ministry priorities to combat the distribution of drugs and laughing gas among minors.

“One of the Sozopol Police Department’s main tasks is specifically to counter the illegal distribution of laughing gas. To this end, we have carried out a number of operational activities,” Dragiev said.

Authorities have stepped up action against laughing gas use among minors over the past year. In February, Parliament approved at first reading amendments to the Health Act restricting minors’ access to laughing gas, tightening rules on its sale, distribution and storage, and allowing the temporary or permanent closure of establishments that repeatedly trade in nitrous oxide in breach of the law. The State Agency for Child Protection and the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy also launched a school campaign in which doctors and athletes warn children about the effects of nitrous oxide, designer drugs and vapes.

Police have also carried out several large laughing gas seizures. In July 2025, Sofia police seized more than 120,000 units worth nearly BGN 20 million, intended for bars and discos in Sofia and on the Black Sea coast, as well as for export. In August 2025, police found more than 50 boxes of laughing gas bottles and balloons in two cars near Chernomorets, allegedly intended for distribution along the Southern Black Sea coast. In May 2026, a nationwide Interior Ministry operation included checks of more than 39,800 people and 3,018 sites, with authorities finding more than 8,000 ml of laughing gas.