site.btaContraband Rifles, Pistols, Cartridges Seized at Kapitan Andreevo Customs Checkpoint

Three smoothbore hunting rifles, 20 gas pistols, and 5,750 blank cartridges were seized by officers from the General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime (GDCOC) and the Customs Agency at the Kapitan Andreevo customs checkpoint. The weapons were discovered during a joint inspection by Bulgarian authorities and their colleagues from North Macedonia's service for illegal weapons, dangerous and radioactive materials, the Interior Ministry reported on Thursday.

The contraband was hidden in the cargo compartment of a foreign-registered truck entering the country from Turkiye. It was established that the illegal weapons were intended for trafficking to the Republic of North Macedonia.

The truck was selected for inspection and X-ray control on December 18, 2025. The driver, a Macedonian citizen, presented documents for the transported goods, parked the vehicle in front of the X-ray area, and left the checkpoint without authorization before the control measures were carried out.

A week later, on December 24, the owner of the transport company appeared at the checkpoint before the Bulgarian authorities. During the inspection carried out in his presence and the subsequent physical control, the officers discovered and seized six cardboard boxes containing weapons and ammunition.

A report was drawn up under the Customs Act for the smuggled gas pistols and blank cartridges found in the driver's possession. In connection with the illegally transported rifles, a pre-trial investigation has been initiated by a customs inspector under the supervision of the Haskovo District Prosecution Office.