Four Arrested Attempting to Smuggle More than 70 kg of Cannabis Across the Turkish Border

The District Prosecutor’s Office in Burgas has submitted a request to the court for the imposition of remand in custody against four individuals charged with attempting to smuggle more than 70 kg of cannabis. The attempted smuggling took place on 10 December 2025 at the Malko Tarnovo border checkpoint.

The defendants acted in complicity, with two of them accused of instigating and assisting, while the other two are alleged to have carried out the offence.

The investigation established that the cannabis had been concealed in eight gas cylinders installed in two vehicles with Bulgarian registration plates. The cars were travelling from Bulgaria to Turkey.

Following an operational risk analysis, customs officers directed three cars bound for Turkey to undergo a thorough customs inspection. Two of the vehicles were fitted with, respectively, five and three gas cylinders, which formed part of a functioning gas installation but were filled not with gas, but with packages containing a dry green plant material.

Field drug tests confirmed the substance in the packages to be cannabis.

photos by Bulgarian Customs Agency

The cannabis seized from the gas cylinders in the two vehicles weighs a total of 70.064 kg. The value of the drugs, according to forensic pricing, is 1,121,024 leva.