site.btaSome 60,000 Contraband Cigarettes Seized by Customs Officers at Danube Bridge Border Checkpoint near Ruse

Customs officers found nearly 60,000 contraband cigarettes in a car at the Danube Bridge Border Checkpoint near Ruse during the weekend, the Customs Agency said on Tuesday. 

The car, driven by a Bulgarian driver, was travelling to Germany when it was stopped for checking at the border crossing. During the inspection, customs officers found the tobacco products hidden in a speaker, in the seat backs and in other factory cavities of the car. 

The driver explained that he was carrying 2,979 cartons of cigarettes for friends in Germany. The tobacco products were confiscated and the driver was presented a statement of violation.

The check was part of a joint operation by the Customs Agency, the General Directorate Combating Organized Crime, the Border Police and the National Revenue Agency.