Customs officers at the Lesovo Customs Post detained a large quantity of 190,000 pieces (9,500 boxes) of smuggled cigarettes hidden in a truck.
The truck with a foreign registration arrived at the Lesovo Customs Post on 06.07.2025 on an incoming route into the country, driven by a Turkish citizen. In the customs control area, the driver presented documents that he was transporting tire rims from Turkey to Germany in transit through Bulgaria. He stated that he had nothing else to declare.
After a risk analysis, the cargo train was selected by customs officers for a thorough inspection. During the control actions with specialized X-ray equipment, the inspectors identified an area of suspicious density in the declared cargo. During the subsequent physical inspection of the cargo, cartons of contraband cigarettes were found in the marked area, hidden among the declared goods. A total of 190,000 pieces (9,500 boxes) of undeclared cigarettes of various brands, with Turkish excise stamps, were found.
The contraband tobacco products were seized. An act for an established administrative violation was drawn up for the driver with the initials A.O.. Administrative criminal proceedings were initiated in the case.