America News Agency

Two new toxicology and chemistry laboratories have begun operating in Bulgaria to detect alcohol and drugs in the blood of vehicle drivers and individuals involved in preliminary investigations.

According to a statement by Bulgaria's Interior Ministry, blood samples will be analyzed at the laboratories opened in Plovdiv and Burgas. Construction of a third laboratory in the Varna region was reported to be at an advanced stage.

Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev said the aim is to process the backlog of samples by the end of the year and deliver results within a few days. Demerdzhiev said faster results should also contribute to the rapid conclusion of investigations and court cases.

The laboratories will operate in line with the methodological instructions of the National Investigation Committee and through standardized procedures. Two expert chemists will work at the new unit in Plovdiv. Methods such as gas chromatography, mass spectrometry and solid-phase extraction will be used to analyze even substances present at low concentrations.

In the initial stage, the laboratory will carry out expert examinations only as part of preliminary investigations conducted by the Plovdiv Directorate of the Interior Ministry, with plans to expand the scope of services to neighboring regions at a later stage.