Bulgarian customs seize record amount of smuggled cigarettes at Kulata border crossing

3.3 million pieces of cigarettes were seized by customs officers from Sofia Customs House during an inspection of a lorry entering the country through Kulata border crossing. The amount seized is a record high for cases detected by the customs authorities at the border with Greece during the past ten years.

On 6 May 2022, on the basis of "risk analysis", customs officers at Kulata checkup point selected for inspection a lorry with Bulgarian registration coming from Greece. According to the transport documents, the cargo included a "treadmill and parts" for a recipient in Bulgaria.

The lorry was sealed with a Greek customs seal, intended to deceive the inspectors that the goods were without Community status and were travelling under a customs procedure. A paper transit declaration was also presented, which upon checking in the customs information system, the inspectors found it was not registered, i.e. no such document existed.

During a physical inspection, the customs officers found that only a small number of the boxes near the door of the cargo compartment contained pillows and the rest contained cigarettes without excise labels.

A total of 13 300 000 pieces or 665 000 packets distributed in 1330 boxes were seized.

Pre-trial proceedings were initiated under the supervision of the District Prosecutor's Office in Blagoevgrad, Petrich Territorial Department. The offence is qualified under art. 234, par. 234, para. 1 of the Criminal Code. Investigation continues under the supervision of the Prosecutor’s office.

This is a record high amount of smuggled cigarettes detected and seized by customs authorities at the border with Greece in the past ten years, as well as the largest amount detected at Bulgarian border since 2018.

The market value of the seized smuggled cigarettes is BGN 3,657,500, with the excise duty due amounting to BGN 2,364,075.

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