Authorities in Bulgaria have seized over 19 tonnes and more than 28,000 litres of agricultural chemicals, including plant protection products and fertilizers, from a large holding in Vardim, near Svishtov. The seizure occurred after the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA) inspected three warehouses, revealing multiple violations concerning product legality and storage compliance. The BFSA reported that only one of the three facilities was officially registered for the wholesale trade of such goods, while the other two operated without proper authorization.
During the inspection of the licensed warehouse, inspectors found 17.5 tonnes and 510 litres of banned fertilizers lacking Bulgarian labeling, alongside 530 litres of expired fertilizers. This site also held 49 tonnes of sugar beet sugar labeled in Ukrainian. In the unregulated warehouses, authorities discovered 10,380 litres and 1.875 tonnes of banned plant protection products without required local labeling, along with 16,725 litres of expired substances.
Additionally, 10 tonnes of sugar were seized for violating safety regulations. Authorities confirmed that expired pesticides and fertilizers will be destroyed, and all banned imported products will undergo further review. While a final decision on the seized sugar has not been made, it is expected not to enter the retail market.
The inspection is part of Operation SILVER AXE, an initiative coordinated by Europol and the European Anti-Fraud Office aimed at curbing the illegal import and distribution of unregistered agricultural chemicals across the EU. Multiple national agencies have been notified of the identified violations.
Topics: #tonnes #banned #fertilizers
