National Customs Agency

 Illegal electronic cigarettes, vaping liquids, and alcoholic beverages were intercepted by customs officers from the Sofia Customs Directorate during several inspections in July. A total of 190 electronic cigarettes, 30 bottles of vaping liquid, and nearly 700 bottles of wine were seized.

 The smoking products were discovered during a customs inspection of a passenger minivan traveling from the United Kingdom to Bulgaria. Although the driver and the four passengers denied carrying goods subject to declaration, customs inspectors found a large quantity of nicotine-containing electronic cigarettes and related liquids in their personal luggage. In total, 190 electronic cigarettes and 30 bottles of vaping liquid were confiscated.

 In a separate case, nearly 700 bottles of wine without proper documentation were discovered during an inspection of a cargo vehicle transporting goods from another European country, transiting through Serbia to Bulgaria. A routine x-ray scan revealed three suspicious areas of dense material. Despite the Bulgarian driver’s claim that he was not transporting any undeclared goods beyond those listed in the shipping documents, customs officers found 696 undeclared bottles of wine bearing foreign excise labels, totaling 549 liters. The excise goods were not listed in the accompanying documents, and no required excise paperwork was provided.

 All undocumented excise goods were seized. Both cases are subject to administrative penalties under applicable customs regulations.