At the end of October, the Austrian authorities seized 42,200 smuggled cigarettes in a truck from Bulgaria, the Austrian APA agency reported. The Ministry of Finance specified that the goods were found in the double bottom of the truck, which was traveling on the A4 motorway in the area of Bruck an der Leyte. The value of the seized cigarettes was estimated at 12,125 euros, BTA quoted.
During the investigation, the driver and his mother admitted that the cigarettes were purchased in Bulgaria with the intention of resale. According to the customs services, the amount of unpaid taxes and excise duties for these 211 packages, detected with the help of a dog trained for the purpose, amounts to about 7,500 euros.
The truck has also been confiscated and the investigation has been taken over by the Austrian customs team. Finance Minister Magnus Bruner expressed gratitude to customs officials for their vigilance, stressing that the evasion of excise goods is not a minor crime and will be severely punished.