Illegal vapes with street value of over 500,000 BGN seized by Bulgarian customs officers

Electronic cigarettes without Bulgarian excise duty stamps, worth over half a million BGN, have been seized during operations carried out by customs officers.

"Between January 10 and 17, 2025, specialized operations aimed at preventing excise violations were conducted by customs officers in Sofia. During the checks, numerous warehouses and retail establishments, as well as addresses of individuals, were inspected," Nikola Velikov, head of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Department, told BNT breakfast programme "Deniyat zapochva" (The Day Begins) on January 24.

The total quantity amounts to over 18,000 items, and the goods were intended for retail sale in the country.

Rosen Vasilev, director of the Sofia Customs Directorate, explained that more than 330 litres of e-cigarette liquid were seized just yesterday. He added that the illegal goods are most often stored in private homes of individuals.

"They do not have permission to trade in tobacco products, and the goods are entirely smuggled, meaning they are not authorized for sale on our market, and excise duties have not been paid," he said.

The goods have been seized and pre-trial proceedings have been initiated.