site.btaNearly 300 kg of Contraband Hookah Tobacco Seized at Kalotina Border Checkpoint

Customs officers at the Kalotina checkpoint on the border with Serbia seized 288 kg of smuggled hookah tobacco hidden in a truck, the National Customs Agency said on Tuesday.

On July 20, a Bulgarian-registered truck driven by a 44-year-old Bulgarian, arrived at Kalotina enroute from Serbia. The documents presented by the driver showed he was carrying plastic sheets and he said he had nothing else to declare. On checking the weight of the cargo, the customs officers detected a discrepancy between the declared and actual weight. The inspectors discovered, among the declared cargo, 60 boxes containing 1,440 packs of shisha tobacco of various brands, all without excise labels. The total quantity of smuggled hookah tobacco found was 288 kilograms.

Pre-trial proceedings are underway under the supervision of the Sofia District Prosecutor's Office. The truck driver has been detained for up to 72 hours and a request for his remand in custody will be filed.