site.btaTwo Men Detained for Possessing 400Kg of Untaxed Hookah Tobacco Worth BGN 100,000-Plus

Two men have been arrested for possessing more than 400 kilograms of untaxed hookah tobacco with an estimated value exceeding BGN 100,000, Radostin Angelov, head of the Seventh Precinct Police Department in Sofia, said at a news briefing on Saturday.

Angelov said that during a specialized police operation on December 18, officers identified the pair as two brothers in their 50s, residing in the area covered by the police department. One of the men has a criminal record, including prior involvement in drug distribution, and has been convicted in another EU Member State.

The two were seen carrying a package and getting into a car, where police discovered about two kilograms of hookah tobacco without tax stamps. A subsequent search of the building from which they had departed led to the discovery of more than 400 kilograms of untaxed hookah tobacco in various types of packaging.

The tobacco was intended for commercial distribution across the country. The suspects sold it through multiple channels, including direct deliveries to establishments using their vehicles and courier shipments to individual customers nationwide, Angelov noted.

It was found that the brothers had been engaged in this illegal activity for nearly a year, although the exact duration has not yet been established. During the inspection of the premises, police also detained a third individual with a criminal record, who is believed to be an accomplice.

Pre-trial proceedings have been initiated, and work on the case is ongoing, Angelov added.