site.btaCustoms Officials Find Contraband Exotic Animals at Kapitan Andreevo Checkpoint

Customs officials prevented an attempt at smuggling 243 tarantulas and 100 leopard geckos through the Kapitan Andreevo border control checkpoint, the Customs Agency said in a press release Thursday. The exotic animals were found during a routine check in a freight vehicle travelling from Bulgaria to Turkiye on Wednesday.

The driver, a Turkish national, said he did not any goods to declare. The animals were found inside two boxes hidden under the bed in the cockpit.

The exotic animals were immediately handed over to the terrarium in Mineralni Bani, Haskovo Region. Their small size makes them preferred pets.

The driver was issued a violation note under the Customs Act.