A quantity of 64,800 short cigarettes or 3,240 boxes without a Bulgarian banderol were found by the customs officials of the "Capitan Andreevo" border checkpoint in three days, reports the "Customs" Agency.

In two of the cases, the trucks in which the excise goods were found were traveling from Turkey to the Netherlands, and in the third - to Great Britain.

On January 31, upon entering the country of a truck with Turkish registration, the driver - a Turkish citizen, presented regular documents for the goods being transported from Turkey to the Netherlands.

The vehicle has been selected for a thorough customs inspection, including with X-ray equipment.

During the subsequent physical control in factory cavities in the front wall of the semi-trailer, 1,620 boxes or 32,400 cigarettes without a Bulgarian excise label were found.

The day before, on January 30, 950 boxes (19,000 pieces) of cigarettes were found in another truck with Turkish registration.

The tobacco products, which were without an excise label, were found among the declared goods in the cargo room.

The truck was carrying goods from Turkey to Great Britain.  

The third case is from January 29.

A thorough customs inspection then revealed that 670 boxes or 13,400 cigarettes were found in a specially constructed cache in the right-hand box of the semi-trailer of a truck carrying goods to the Netherlands.

Contraband tobacco products were seized.

The three drivers - Turkish citizens, were charged under the Customs Act for attempting to transport excise goods - cigarettes, without the knowledge and permission of the customs authorities.

One of the drivers was also charged with the presence of a cache in the truck.

They seized nearly 350,000 cigarettes

The "Customs" Agency reports that in the past month of January, the customs officers of "Captain Andreevo" seized 3,214,960 cigarettes or 160,748 packs of cigarettes without a Bulgarian excise label.

BTA recalls that just a few days ago, the district court in Haskovo issued a "cash guarantee" remand measure against a 46-year-old Turkish citizen, accused of complicity in proven large-scale smuggling of excise goods - cigarettes.

He was accused of complicity in transporting 2,681,000 boxes of different brands of cigarettes with a total value of BGN 10,724,000 across the country's border by using documents with false content such as transit declarations, international bills of lading and invoices. 

Customs Agency

Captain Andreevo

illegal cigarettes