Minister Mitov and Director Murphy discussed the strengthening of cooperation between the Ministry of Interior and the DEA in the fight against drug trafficking.

Minister of Internal Affairs Daniel Mitov and Acting Director of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Robert Murphy held a meeting at the DEA headquarters in Washington, where they discussed deepening cooperation between the two institutions in the fight against drug trafficking.

Mitov emphasized that the cooperation between the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the DEA has been legendary since the time of General Boyko Borisov and is of key importance for counteracting the production and distribution of drugs. After the Consultative Council for National Security held at the beginning of the year, when all parties and institutions in Bulgaria united in the fight against drugs and cannabis vapes, 3 times more drugs have been seized compared to the same months of the previous years.

The two discussed the possibilities for training employees of the Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime (GDBOP) at the DEA Academy in Quantico and the exchange of experience in the effective technical support of operations against drug production and trafficking. The Director of GDBOP, Chief Commissioner Boyan Raev, emphasized the very good cooperation with the American agency and the support that the Bulgarian service receives outside the territory of the country.

Mitov and Murphy also discussed the risks and damages to society associated with the spread of fentanyl, which comes mainly from China. Chief Commissioner Raev informed that so far the cases of seized quantities of fentanyl in Bulgaria are very rare, but the Ministry of Internal Affairs is determined to be a reliable barrier against its penetration into Europe. The two examined the possibilities for technical support that the Bulgarian police can receive to counter the spread of fentanyl.

The directors of the main directorates "National Police" and "Border Police" also presented their priorities and the results achieved in the fight against drug production and distribution. Chief Commissioner Zahary Vaskov was adamant that not only the GDNP, but all 28 regional directorates of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are actively working on this line.