site.btaSofia Police Detain 918 Laughing Gas Canisters, 4 Tonnes of Freon

The police in Sofia seized 918 canisters of nitrous oxide (laughing gas) and nearly four tonnes of freon, the Ministry of Interior said on Tuesday.

In response to a report about the unauthorized storage and distribution of nitrous oxide and various types of freon, a specialized police operation was carried out on July 24 by officers from the Economic Police Department at Sofia's Directorate of Interior. During the operation at a large logistics facility in Sofia, 918 canisters of nitrous oxide of various sizes were found in one of the warehouses. With the assistance of the Sofia Regional Food Safety Directorate, the products were banned, the Ministry added.

The inspection found that the goods recipient was not registered under the Food Act. In another warehouse within the logistics base, authorities found nearly four tonnes (380 bottles) of various types of freon, lacking Bulgarian-language labels and differing in capacity. Some of the bottles were single-use, which have been prohibited for distribution within the European Union since 2007. The Regional Inspectorate for Environment and Water in Sofia analyzed the contents of each bottle. At the time of inspection, no documents proving the origin of the goods were presented. The investigation is ongoing.