Authorities have seized over 19 tonnes and more than 28,000 litres of agricultural chemicals, including plant protection products and fertilizers, from a large agricultural holding in Vardim, near Svishtov. The seizure occurred after inspectors from the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA) examined three warehouses, finding materials that were banned for use in Bulgaria, lacked Bulgarian labeling, or had expired. The BFSA reported that only one of the three storage facilities was officially licensed for the wholesale trade of such goods, while the other two operated without proper authorization.
In the licensed warehouse, inspectors discovered 17.5 tonnes and 510 litres of banned fertilizers lacking required Bulgarian labels, alongside 530 litres of expired fertilizers. The facility also contained 49 tonnes of sugar labeled in Ukrainian. Within the unregulated warehouses, authorities found 10,380 litres and 1.875 tonnes of banned plant protection products without Bulgarian labeling, in addition to 16,725 litres of expired substances.
An additional 10 tonnes of sugar, stored in violation of safety protocols, were also confiscated. Authorities confirmed that expired pesticides and fertilizers will be destroyed, and all banned imported products will undergo further mandatory inspection. While a final determination on the seized sugar has not been made, it is expected not to enter the retail market.
These inspections are part of Operation SILVER AXE, a coordinated effort by Europol and the European Anti-Fraud Office aimed at curbing the illegal import and distribution of unregistered chemicals within the EU. Multiple national agencies, including the National Police and the National Customs Agency, have been notified of the detected violations.
Topics: #tonnes #banned #fertilizers
