Bulgaria is a very important transit state for international drug trafficking routes, and is also a smaller-scale producer of narcotics, according to the US Department of State.

The 2008 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report of the US government was made public Saturday. Its section on Bulgaria states that heroin destined for Europe from the Middle East goes through Bulgaria, and that chemicals used for making heroin are also transited through Bulgaria but in the opposite direction.

The report points out that cocaine and marijuana are also transported through Bulgaria. Bulgaria also remains a net exporter of synthetic drugs and amphetamines, which are destined primarily for the Middle East.

The US State Department reports that heroin use in Bulgaria is steadily declining but that it is being replaced with synthetics and amphetamines as the most widely used narcotics in the domestic market.

The report notes the marked progress in combating drug trafficking and production as a result of the government's efforts. It cites specific anti-drug operations of the Customs Agency, the Interior Ministry, the National Service for Combating Organized Crime, and the Border Police, as well as the sentence against the Bulgarian drug boss Dimitar Zhelyazkov, who controlled the drug trafficking along the country's southern Black Sea coast.

Despite the positive efforts, however, the US State Department concludes that "inadequate equipment to facilitate narcotics searches, widespread corruption, and a cumbersome judicial procedure continue to hamper counternarcotics efforts", and that "Bulgarian law enforcement agencies, investigators, prosecutors and judges require further assistance".

The Bulgarian Deputy Minister of Interior Rumen Andreev evaluated the US government report in its part for Bulgaria as "strongly positive".

"This is surprising for all those who expected that the report would be devastating for our law enforcement institutions", Andreev said adding the US had emphasized the Bulgarian government's unbending will to limit drug and people trafficking.

"Our American colleagues know the matter very well. I am really happy about the release of the report on this topic at this very moment", Andree concluded.