site.btaUPDATED Marijuana Valued at Close to BGN 12 Mln Seized at Border with Turkiye from Turkish Truck

Marijuana weighing a total of 739.180 kg, valued at over BGN 11.8 million, was discovered in a truck with Turkish registration at the Kapitan Andreevo Border Checkpoint, announced here on Monday Haskovo District Prosecutor Ivan Stoyanov. He specified that the drugs were seized on September 11 on the outbound lane to Turkiye using a risk analysis method.

An unusual detail is that the vehicle was sealed with a company seal instead of a customs seal. This was one of the things that aroused the suspicion of the customs officer. Another factor was the non-standard size of the truck, which made it impossible for the vehicle to enter the x-ray scanning hall.

The truck driver, a Turkish citizen, has been detained. If he is found guilty of the charges brought against him, the law provides for 15 to 20 years of imprisonment and a fine ranging from BGN 200,000 to BGN 300,000, the prosecutor added.

Stefan Bakalov, head of the counter-narcotics unit at the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate, stated that the enhanced border controls are in response to the increased risk of illegal transfers of narcotics into Turkiye. He added that if the seized drugs had crossed the border and reached the market in Bulgaria’s southern neighbor, their value there would have exceeded EUR 30 million. According to Bakalov, the trafficking routes toward Turkey originate from Spain, Canada, and the Western Balkans.

Since the beginning of this year, more than 20 attempts to smuggle drugs have been prevented at the Kapitan Andreevo Border Checkpoint. Nearly one ton of these consisted of marijuana, Bakalov noted. He emphasized that the marijuana seized on September 11 at Kapitan Andreevo is not only the largest haul since the start of this year, but also a record amount for the past 15 years.