Police in Sofia have detained three members of one family in the Fakulteta district on suspicion of selling fentanyl to children and adults.
They are a 21-year-old man, his mother and his stepfather. Documents show the mother is unemployed. Officers found 150 doses of fentanyl, crystal meth and electronic scales at their home. Police also know the family for theft and kidnapping.
One dose costs €10, and even a single dose can kill.
Stanislava, who spoke for the investigators, said they have evidence in the case and have questioned more than one witness. She said all of them say they bought drugs from the detainees at different times. Most of the dealing took place in Fakulteta.
Buyers mostly order by phone or buy on the spot, often near schools. Orders are also placed through mobile apps: the buyer gets a location and a photo of the hiding place, and pays in different ways.
Residents of the district talk differently on and off camera. One told the camera that no drugs are sold in the area and that he does not know what fentanyl is. Another, off camera, said everyone knows about the children who use fentanyl, but residents did not bring it in, because they are not chemists or scientists.
A man from a nearby street says fentanyl is sold there and is getting more popular. He has seen adult buyers from different districts, but no children. He says fentanyl turns people into "zombies".
Figures from the National Focal Point for Drugs and Drug Addiction show that 125 people died from drugs in Bulgaria in 2025, and 58 of them had used fentanyl. Eight were under 20, 16 were aged 20 to 29, 42 were aged 30 to 39 and 45 were aged 40 to 49.
In 73 cases, death followed opioids, meaning painkillers, and some of those people had taken a mix of several kinds. Another 49 died after methamphetamine, one of the deadliest drugs in Bulgaria.
Investigators are also watching other families that deal drugs, and Stanislava says they already have a way to track these schemes. She gave no details, so as not to harm upcoming action.