site.btaTurkish National Accused of Smuggling 10,920 Packs of Cigarettes

A Turkish national has been accused of smuggling 10,920 packs of cigarettes through the Kapitan Andreevo border crossing checkpoint, the Prosecutor's Office of Appeal - Plovdiv said on Friday. The case dates back to April 15.

A truck arrived at the checkpoint on its way from Turkiye via Bulgaria to France. The driver, a Turkish citizen, presented regular documents for the goods transported. Customs officials selected the vehicle for a thorough inspection, including an X-ray. It was found that a total of 10,920 packs of cigarettes were concealed among the goods transported. Excise goods with a total market value of BGN 74,796 were seized.

The driver of the truck, S.Y. (50 years old), has been held criminally liable under the pre-trial proceedings. He was imposed a detention order "bail" in the amount of BGN 3,000, as well as a ban to leave the country.

Nearly 30 million pieces of smuggled cigarettes were seized last year at Kapitan Andreevo, according to the statistics of the Customs Agency.