site.btaSofia Municipality Denies Owning Property Used for Fentanyl Production

The property where an illegal fentanyl production laboratory was uncovered is not owned by the Sofia Municipality, the municipal press office said on Wednesday, rejecting claims to the contrary.

According to the cadastral register, the property is owned by the Agricultural Academy (National Centre for Agrarian Sciences), a budget-funded organization under the Minister of Agriculture and Food. The Sofia Municipality is not a party to any lease, management or maintenance agreements related to the property and bears no responsibility for the way it was used, the statement said.

The municipality called on the competent institutions to provide accurate and verified information to prevent the spread of false claims that could mislead the public.

The Sofia Municipality also expressed support for the Interior Ministry and the General Directorate Combating Organized Crime (GDCOC) in their efforts to combat the production and distribution of narcotic drugs and said it expects all circumstances surrounding the case to be clarified during the investigation.

At a news briefing on Tuesday, acting Interior Ministry Secretary General Lyubomir Nikolov said the fentanyl had been produced at a site in Sofia's Fakulteta borough. Three people were arrested after attempting to flee by car, while EUR 300,000 in cash was found during searches of the suspects' homes.