More than 60 Bulgarian customs officers have undergone training with British experts, it was announced during a demonstration of technical equipment for cargo and vehicle inspection provided by the UK to Bulgaria’s Customs Agency.
The demonstration took place at Vasil Levski Airport in Sofia and was part of the official visit of the UK Minister for European Union Relations, Nick Thomas-Symonds, who arrived in Bulgaria today, June 17. The event highlighted the ongoing partnership between the British Embassy in Sofia, UK institutions, and Bulgarian authorities.
The cooperation has already yielded tangible results, including joint experience-sharing missions, specialized trainings conducted both in the UK and Bulgaria, and the provision of modern equipment now used by customs officers. Notably, these efforts also contribute to combatting the smuggling of so-called "small boats" used for illegal migrant crossings across the English Channel.
In the past two years, Bulgarian customs officers have participated in training on container and postal shipment checks, vehicle inspections, and other specialized courses. Three joint missions were also held, during which British officers worked alongside their Bulgarian counterparts at the Kapitan Andreevo border checkpoint.
In addition to training, the Bulgarian Customs Agency has received over BGN 600,000 worth of equipment from the UK, including gas analyzers, endoscopes, mini X-ray scanners, vehicle inspection tools, and transport machinery, all of which are now deployed at various border checkpoints across the country.
A particularly valuable addition is Adele, a customs dog donated by the UK. The five-year-old German Shorthaired Pointer (the Kurzhaar) is trained to detect not only narcotics but also rubber used in small boats and hidden currency. Adele and her handler, stationed at Kapitan Andreevo, recently detected undeclared currency equivalent to BGN 687,708 and also took part in the demonstration.
The Customs Agency continues to cooperate with UK institutions to disrupt the trafficking of small boats through Bulgaria. So far, it has seized 136 inflatable boats and nearly 1,000 related items such as pumps, life vests, and engines. Since the beginning of 2025, 23 boats have been intercepted in three separate cases, mostly along the Bulgarian-Turkish border.
According to the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), joint operations with the Bulgarian Customs Agency have helped prevent the illegal migration of at least 6,100 individuals and inflicted over €18.3 million in financial losses on organized criminal networks.
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