Police have found four packets of heroin weighing a total of about 1,980 grams in a house in the village of Polenitsa, near Sandanski, Blagoevgrad regional police say. A 42-year-old man from the village lives in the house and has been detained for 24 hours.

The operation began on 3 October and was carried out by officers from the Sandanski district police department. The packets of hard, pressed brown substance were found on the upper floor of the house, and a field test showed it was heroin.

Police also seized an electronic scale and cash from the home. They have not said how much money was found.

Prosecutors have opened a criminal case under Article 354a, paragraph 1 of the criminal code. The Blagoevgrad district prosecutor's office is overseeing the investigation.

Nearly 160 cannabis plants were found and destroyed on the spot during two other operations in Blagoevgrad province in late July.