Customs officers from the Varna Customs Territorial Directorate seized 366.70 liters of ethyl alcohol and 3 unregistered distillation facilities during an inspection of a land plot and a private home with common owners.
The inspection actions were carried out after an operational analysis by the “Excise Operational Control“ sector of the “Customs Intelligence and Investigation“ department for unregulated production, storage and distribution of excisable goods.
On 05.12.2025, customs officers carried out an inspection of a private land plot in a village in the Dolni Chiflik municipality, Varna region. On the territory of the property, the inspectors found three rakia distillation facilities in working order and 91.50 liters of distilled ethyl alcohol in a former specialized small distillation facility (SMOD) with a suspended registration. The facilities were dismantled and seized, as well as the ethyl alcohol. During the continued inspection of a residential property of the same owners, another 275.20 liters of ethyl alcohol with the characteristics of rakia were found on the ground floor, stored in wooden barrels, plastic tubes and glass containers in poor hygienic conditions. The owners of the property did not present documents for paid or secured excise duty for the alcohol.
The seized ethyl alcohol totaled 366.70 liters and, according to operational information, was intended for sale.
Pre-trial proceedings have been initiated in the case based on the inventory of the Varna Customs TD, which is being conducted under the supervision of the Varna District Prosecutor's Office. The crime is classified under Art. 234, para. 2 and para. 4 of the Criminal Code.
The Varna Customs Department notes that the enhanced customs control against the unregulated production and trade in alcohol is in the protection of both consumers and honest small producers of brandy for personal and family consumption, distilled in registered specialized small distilleries (SMOD), in accordance with the Excise and Tax Warehouses Act.