Over 145 kg of marijuana worth BGN 2,321,760 were found in a vehicle at the Kapitan Andreevo border crossing during a joint check by border police officers and customs officials on August 10, the Customs Agency and the Interior Ministry reported on Monday. The Romania-registered truck, driven by an Austrian national of Turkish origin, was officially transporting powdered substances for the chemical industry from Western Europe through Bulgaria to Turkiye.
The vehicle was stopped for a detailed check at the request of Border Police, which had information about illegal transportation. Behind the declared goods aboard, there were 5 bags and 9 carton boxes containing 135 packages of a dry grassy substance, which tested positive for marijuana. The driver was found carrying 2.40 grammes of hashish in his bag.
Pre-trial proceedings have been launched. The driver, Mustafa Altinay, 44, has been remanded in custody in Svilengrad (Western Bulgaria). If found guilty, he faces 15 to 20 years in prison and a fine between BGN 200,000 and 300,000.
/YV/
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