site.btaCustoms Officers Seize Over 220,000 Pieces of Cigarettes at Border Checkpoint near Vidin

Customs officers seized over 220,000 pieces of cigarettes with a value of EUR 39,000 at the Danube Bridge 2 border crossing near Vidin, the Customs Agency said here on Wednesday. 

The cigarettes were found in cavities of furniture in a car driven by a Bulgarian citizen. According to the driver, he was transporting furniture, bottles and metal parts to Belgium. Pre-trial proceedings were initiated in the case under the supervision of the District Prosecution Office in Vidin. 

In another case, customs officers found over 24,000 pieces of cigarettes in a Bulgarian-registered car traveling to Germany. The driver stated that he was transporting the cigarettes for relatives in Germany. However, as the quantity exceeded the maximum permitted for personal use within the European Union, the tobacco products were seized and a report was filed for an administrative violation.