Customs Officers in Sofia Intercept Shipment of Raw Material for Steroids

Customs officers in Sofia have seized a shipment of raw material intended for the production of steroids, Bulgaria’s Customs Agency said on December 16.

On 10 December 2025, customs officials inspected a consignment weighing approximately one kilogram, which had been declared in customs documents as “xanthan gum” – a gluten substitute used in the preparation of health foods. The shipment was accompanied by a commercial invoice, a certificate and a declaration from the sender, all describing the goods in the same way.

During the inspection, the package was opened and found to contain a white substance with a strong odour. A field test using a Raman spectrometer revealed the presence of Testosterone Decanoate, a steroid, with an exceptionally high purity level of close to 100 per cent – a concentration rarely encountered in practice.

Samples have been taken for laboratory analysis in order to determine the exact composition of the substance and ensure its correct tariff classification.

According to preliminary information, the substance is a raw material intended for the production of steroids to be distributed on the black market in Bulgaria. From the seized quantity of one kilogram, more than 5,000 ampoules containing anabolic steroids could be produced, with an estimated total market value exceeding 80,000 leva.