Customs officials from the Burgas Territorial Customs Directorate conducted two separate inspections, leading to the seizure of a substantial 502.68 liters of bulk and bottled ethyl alcohol. The violations, related to excise legislation, were identified as a result of these actions, announced the Customs Agency.
The operations, conducted in the city of Burgas, were carried out by officers from the "Excise Operational Control" sector within the "Customs Intelligence and Investigation" department. Preliminary operational analysis served as the basis for these actions.
In the first case, customs officials, with the support of police officers from the Burgas Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Interior, conducted an inspection in a private property located on the ground floor of a residential building. The atmosphere at the scene, according to witnesses, was tense. In the premises, containers were found containing a total of 285 liters of ethyl alcohol with characteristics of rakia (Bulgarian brandy). The property owner failed to provide documents certifying the origin of the alcohol and the paid or secured excise duty, in accordance with the provisions of the Excise and Tax Warehouses Act. In his explanations to the authorities, he claimed that he had produced the rakia at home for personal use. The ethyl alcohol was seized, and samples were taken for laboratory analysis.
The second inspection, undertaken by the officials of the "Customs" Agency, led to the discovery of a warehouse of a commercial company, in which 4308 bottles with different capacities were stored. The total amount of high-alcohol beverages in them amounted to 217.68 liters. The beverages were labeled with Bulgarian excise stamps, the validity period of which had expired. This alcohol was also seized due to a violation of excise legislation.
In both cases, administrative penalty proceedings are currently underway, which are conducted on the basis of the Excise and Tax Warehouses Act.