A Bulgarian citizen was left without a thousand packs of cigarettes after customs officers and border police officers discovered the illegal goods in his checked luggage at Burgas airport this Sunday evening. The passenger tried to export the commercial quantity to Manchester, Great Britain, confidently passing through the green corridor for persons without declared goods, the „Customs“ Agency reports.
The smuggling attempt
During the joint inspection between customs officers and „Border Police - Burgas“, two of the passenger's suitcases were searched. In them, the inspectors came across a total of 20,000 pieces of cigarettes of two different brands. Although the tobacco products were affixed with a valid Bulgarian excise stamp, the huge quantity categorically violates the Customs Act.
According to the institution, the goods were immediately seized, and an administrative violation act was drawn up against the violator.
Strict limits when traveling
The territorial directorate of Customs - Burgas reminds that the rules for exporting tobacco products when traveling by plane are strictly regulated. Passengers have the right to export up to 40 packs of cigarettes with a Bulgarian excise stamp from Bulgaria, if their final destination is another member state of the European Union.
Since Great Britain is a third country outside the Union, the limit for travelers there is drastically smaller - only 10 packs. Any attempt to carry quantities in excess of the permitted amount will result in the confiscation of the object of the violation and the imposition of a financial fine on the traveler, and the restrictions in the host country may be even more restrictive.