Z6_HQ8A1O82KORV80QC7UVVH72897
Z7_HQ8A1O82KORV80QC7UVVH724Q5
Customs officers detained 4 million pieces of cigarettes in the area of Kulata
Actions
Customs officers detained 4 million pieces of cigarettes in the area of Kulata
4 million pieces of cigarettes (200,000 boxes) were seized by customs officers from the Sofia Customs Territorial Directorate after checking a truck with a Croatian registration.
At around 4.30 p.m. on 11 March 2026, at the Kulata border crossing, customs officials from the Department for Combating Drug Trafficking at the Sofia Customs Territorial Directorate inspected a truck entering the country from the Hellenic Republic, a tractor with a semi-trailer, with Croatian registration plates.
In the semi-trailer of the car, on a pallet, cartons containing 200 000 boxes of cigarettes of different trademarks were found, without a Bulgarian excise stamp on the unit packet. The total quantity determined was 400 master boxes or a total of 200 000 boxes – 4 000 000 cigarettes.
Pre-trial proceedings were initiated by an investigating customs inspector. Under the direction of the Blagoevgrad District Prosecutor’s Office, the Petrich Territorial Division, an investigation is being conducted into pre-trial proceedings initiated for a criminal offence under Article 234(1)(2) of the Criminal Code.
The driver of the vehicle, Croatian national A.R., was detained for up to 24 hours under the Ministry of the Interior Act.
He is to be brought as an accused person and detained for up to 72 hours by order of a public prosecutor, as well as the submission to the court of a request for a remand measure of ‘pre-trial detention’.
At around 4.30 p.m. on 11 March 2026, at the Kulata border crossing, customs officials from the Department for Combating Drug Trafficking at the Sofia Customs Territorial Directorate inspected a truck entering the country from the Hellenic Republic, a tractor with a semi-trailer, with Croatian registration plates.
In the semi-trailer of the car, on a pallet, cartons containing 200 000 boxes of cigarettes of different trademarks were found, without a Bulgarian excise stamp on the unit packet. The total quantity determined was 400 master boxes or a total of 200 000 boxes – 4 000 000 cigarettes.
Pre-trial proceedings were initiated by an investigating customs inspector. Under the direction of the Blagoevgrad District Prosecutor’s Office, the Petrich Territorial Division, an investigation is being conducted into pre-trial proceedings initiated for a criminal offence under Article 234(1)(2) of the Criminal Code.
The driver of the vehicle, Croatian national A.R., was detained for up to 24 hours under the Ministry of the Interior Act.
He is to be brought as an accused person and detained for up to 72 hours by order of a public prosecutor, as well as the submission to the court of a request for a remand measure of ‘pre-trial detention’.
