site.btaCustoms Officers Seize Over 165,000 Cigarettes during Three Inspections at Danube Bridge

Customs officers seized a total of 167,800 pieces of cigarettes and eight kilograms of smoking tobacco during three separate inspections at the ​​Danube Bridge border checkpoint near Vidin, the Customs Agency said on Friday.

On May 11, a car driven by a Bulgarian citizen was stopped leaving the country. During the inspection, including with specialized X-ray equipment, the inspectors discovered 65,800 pieces of cigarettes without a Bulgarian excise stamp in a specially constructed cache in the car. The cigarettes were seized and pre-trial proceedings have been initiated.

On the same day, during a thorough customs inspection another 59,600 pieces of cigarettes without a Bulgarian excise stamp were found in the compartment of another Bulgarian-registered passenger car leaving the country.

On May 10, a customs inspection was carried out on a minibus traveling to Austria, again driven by a Bulgarian citizen. Customs officers found 42,400 pieces of cigarettes and 200 packages with a total of eight kilograms of smoking tobacco. The excise goods were seized, and an administrative offense was issued against the driver.