Three Dutch nationals convicted of producing and synthesizing precursors for high-risk drugs have been sentenced to prison. The sentence was finalized following an agreement with the prosecutor’s office, making it immediately enforceable.

The individuals, identified as 57-year-old A.K., 49-year-old Y.S., and 37-year-old M.B., were accused of collaborating in the crime, which spanned from September 2022 to August 2023. The indictment, filed in April 2024, stated that they had been involved in the production of illicit substances at a remote location in Omurtag Municipality.

A.K. will serve a prison sentence of 3 years and 9 months, along with a fine of 25,000 leva. His two accomplices, Y.S. and M.B., each received sentences of 3 years in prison and a 20,000 leva fine. The group was apprehended during an operation led by the National Anti-Drug Agency and the Bulgarian Drug Enforcement Agency in Vrani Kon, a village in Omurtag.

In a secluded farm building, authorities discovered a fully equipped lab for synthesizing narcotic substances. M.B. and Y.S. were caught in the act of producing illegal drugs, with containers of chemical precursors found on-site. A total of 1,271.40 liters of substances used for synthesizing synthetic drugs were seized. A.K., meanwhile, was arrested at his residence near Burgas. He had a prior criminal record in the Netherlands for similar offenses.

The investigation revealed that A.K. had planned and organized the laboratory's setup. In 2022, he selected the site, acquired the necessary equipment, and arranged for the chemical supplies required for the production of precursors and dangerous drugs. He enlisted M.B. and Y.S. through an online ad from the Netherlands to assist with the synthesis process.

By August 2023, the operation was fully prepared, with materials, equipment, and workers in place. On the morning of August 19, law enforcement raided the laboratory while the accused were in the midst of synthesizing the precursors.

Sources:

• OFFNews
• Dnevnik