More than 12 kilogrammes of smuggled gold were discovered by customs officers at the Kapitan Andreevo border checkpoint during a thorough inspection of a minibus leaving the country.
On May 25, 2025, a minibus with foreign registration arrived at the checkpoint. Traveling from France through Bulgaria to Turkey, the vehicle was occupied by two men – the driver, who holds both Bulgarian and Turkish citizenship, and his passenger, a Turkish national.
Following a risk assessment, the vehicle was selected for a detailed customs inspection. During the check, officers found two bags in the cabin – one containing documents and the other for a laptop – which concealed 12 gold ingots and one gold bar.
An expert analysis confirmed that the ingots, with a total weight of 11,093.50 grams, were made of 14-karat gold (585 fineness).
The gold bar weighed 1 kilogramme and was composed of 24-karat gold (999.9 fineness).
Photos: Bulgarian Customs Agency
According to Bulgarian Customs Agency, the total weight of the seized gold is 12,093.50 grams, with an estimated value of 1,400,004.23 BGN (approx. 715,000 EUR).
A pre-trial investigation has been launched by a customs investigator under the supervision of the Haskovo District Prosecutor’s Office.