site.btaTurkish National Tries to Smuggle 11-Plus Kg of Marijuana, Detained

The District Prosecutor's Office in Yambol detained for up to 72 hours a Turkish citizen accused of attempting to smuggle 11,420 kg of marijuana from Bulgaria to Turkiye. The attempt was unsuccessful for reasons beyond the perpetrator's control. The crime was committed on January 26 at the Lesovo border checkpoint, Yambol region, said the the Appellate Prosecutor's Office in Burgas on Tuesday.

During the investigation, authorities established that a narcotic substance was transported in a cargo van traveling from Germany to Turkiye via Bulgaria. At the customs point, the driver provided documents stating that he was transporting products and animal feed and had nothing else to declare. During the inspection of the vehicle with X-ray equipment, customs inspectors marked an area in the declared cargo with different densities. The van was directed for a physical inspection in a specialized hall for thorough customs inspections. While waiting for the inspection, the driver was observed performing suspicious actions, throwing packages out of the vehicle. It was established that the packages contained a dry herbaceous mass, which tested positive for marijuana. Ten vacuum-sealed polyethylene packages with a total gross weight of 11,420 kg of marijuana were confiscated. The value of the narcotic substance amounts to approximately BGN 180,000.

The Yambol District Prosecutor's Office will submit a request to the court for of detention in custody of the accused.