site.btaMarijuana Worth Over EUR 6 Mln Intercepted at Kapitan Andreevo Border Crossing

An attempt to smuggle 739 kilograms of marijuana worth over EUR 6 million has been prevented at the Kapitan Andreevo border crossing during a joint operation by the Customs Agency, the prosecution service, the General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime (GDBOP), and the Border Police, Haskovo District Prosecutor Ivan Stoyanov told a news conference held at the checkpoint.

The trafficking attempt was uncovered during an inspection of a Polish-plated truck that was leaving Bulgaria for Turkiye late in the morning on January 6. The high-risk narcotic substance was found in the semi-trailer, where the main declared cargo was household appliances. The truck was driven by a 49-year-old Polish citizen and was traveling between the Netherlands and Turkiye, Stoyanov explained.

In the cargo compartment, officers discovered 626 packages containing dried green leafy material that tested positive for marijuana. The driver has been charged and held in custody for up to 72 hours, the prosecutor added.

According to customs officers, the price of marijuana in neighboring Turkiye is EUR 30–40 per gram, which makes smuggling highly profitable. In addition, Turkiye serves as a kind of drug hub for the Middle East, said the head of the Customs Agency Narcotics Department, Stefan Bakalov.

“We are in contact with partner services and expect to provide more information on the case to the Prosecutor’s Office within days,” assured Emil Borisov, Deputy Director of the General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime. Drug trafficking is always linked to organized crime, he noted.

On Friday, the prosecution is expected to petition the Haskovo District Court to leave in custody the alleged drug trafficker, said Haskovo District Prosecutor Ivan Stoyanov.