Customs officers seized 128,800 smuggled cigarettes at the Kapitan Andreevo border crossing. They were hidden in the cabinets of a Turkish lorry carrying fruit and vegetables.
The tractor unit and semi-trailer, with Turkish plates, reached the crossing at about 10:30pm on 9 October. The driver is a Turkish citizen. The papers listed fruit and vegetables as the cargo, and the route ran from Turkey through Bulgaria to Austria.
A risk analysis flagged the lorry for a close check. Officers also put it through an X-ray, which showed areas of suspicious density in the cabinets of the semi-trailer. Inside, they found 6,440 packs of cigarettes, all with Turkish excise stamps.
Officers seized the cigarettes, along with the tractor unit and semi-trailer used in the offence.
In September, customs officers at the Malko Tarnovo border crossing seized smuggled cigarettes in two checks. They found 3,400 cigarettes with Turkish excise stamps in the roof and dashboard of a minibus from Turkey, and 37,000 cigarettes in the suitcases of a bus passenger.
The driver has been issued with a citation under the Customs Act. Customs officers say he brought excise goods across the state border without the customs authorities knowing or giving permission.