Garlyano: cannabis greenhouses found in a former zinc mine
Bulgarian organised-crime police charged three people and sought a fourth after finding cannabis cultivation in a privatised former zinc mine near Garlyano in April 2026. Officials said the site had high-tech grow rooms in more than twenty galleries; about 70 kg of drugs, 600,000 euros in cash and 600 rounds of ammunition were seized.
🇧🇬 Garlyano, Kyustendil · Bulgaria
·
Arrested
3
Cannabis
70 kg
Bulgarian police charged three people and were searching for a fourth after a long-running
investigation into drug trafficking and money laundering uncovered cannabis greenhouses inside a
former zinc mine near Garlyano, at the foot of the Osogovo mountains a few kilometres from North
Macedonia.[1][2]
Deputy director Emil Borisov of the General Directorate for Combating Organised Crime said the
mine had high-tech infrastructure and was likely used for large-scale production meant for export.[1][2] So far officers had seized about 70 kg of drugs, 600,000 euros in cash and 600 rounds of
ammunition.[1][2]
Authorities said they were still examining who owned the mine and how far the network reached;
Reuters reported the inquiry could take months.[1][2]
Reuters and the briefing cited in Bulgarian media describe the seized drugs as about 70 kg in total without separating how much was cannabis; one charge mentioned 67.34 kg with intent to distribute but that detail was not opened in full here.
The specialised operation began on 23 April 2026; the 29 April briefing is used as the report date.
The mine owner is not among those charged and has not been publicly identified; the investigation was expected to last months.
Police in Burgas's Slaveykov complex detained a 37-year-old Daihatsu Sirion driver accused of driving after using cannabis, amphetamine and methamphetamine. He refused a chemical test, was held for up to 24 hours, and police opened fast-track proceedings.
Police found 103 kg of marijuana, in the form of 159 cannabis plants left to dry, at a private property in Grashevo, a village in Velingrad municipality, during a special operation across Pazardzhik region. No arrest at the property was reported, and the directorate named no suspect or owner.
Police who searched a flat in the Sunny Beach resort found about 2 grams of cannabis and two hand-rolled cannabis cigarettes, along with about 3 grams each of methamphetamine and amphetamine. They detained the 39-year-old man who lived there for up to 24 hours and opened a fast-track criminal proceeding against him.
Bulgarian police charged three people and sought a fourth after uncovering a high-tech cannabis farm in a disused zinc mine near Garlyano, Kyustendil. About 70 kg of drugs, €600,000 in cash and 600 rounds of ammunition were seized.
