Customs Officers Seize over 2 Million Smuggled Cigarettes in a Truckload of Furniture and Textiles

A total of 2,141,600 contraband cigarettes were discovered at the Kapitan Andreevo border crossing, hidden in a truck transporting furniture and textiles, according to the Public Relations Office of the Customs Agency unit in Svilengrad.

The incident occurred on June 28. During a customs inspection, a truck entering Bulgaria from Turkey—driven by a Turkish national—was declared to be carrying furniture and textile goods en route to a Western European country.

Following a risk analysis, the vehicle was selected for a detailed inspection using an X-ray scanner, which revealed unusual densities within the cargo area. A subsequent physical search uncovered 107,080 cartons of illicit cigarettes concealed in the middle of the load. Some were hidden inside 36 transported tables, while others were mixed among the declared goods.

The estimated market value of the seized cigarettes is 784,600 BGN.

This is the second major seizure at the Kapitan Andreevo checkpoint within a week. Just days earlier, customs officers discovered 1,498,200 cigarettes concealed in air conditioner parts transported in a separate truck, with a value exceeding half a million BGN.