Bulgarian customs officials seized nearly 25 million cigarettes worth an estimated EUR 5 million in a 24-hour operation targeting illicit excise goods. The cigarettes were discovered in four trucks at the Lesovo and Kulata border checkpoints, Stefan Bakalov, Deputy Director of the National Customs Agency, said at a briefing here on Friday.
Officials at Kulata border checkpoint found more than 9 million cigarettes concealed in boxes labelled as enamel stoves inside a truck. A second truck was also found carrying a large quantity of cigarettes, which has not been disclosed. At Lesovo border checkpoint, authorities seized over 6 million cigarettes hidden inside pallets of declared goods transported from Turkiye to Romania.
Bakalov noted that operation Prometheus targeted high-risk freight vehicles using intelligence-led profiling and X-ray inspections. Investigators said the suspected smuggling methods resembled tactics used by organized drug-trafficking networks.
Four pre-trial investigations have been launched under the supervision of prosecutors in Yambol and Blagoevgrad. A Polish driver arrested at Kulata has been remanded in custody.
Custom Officials Seize Cigarettes Worth EUR 5 Mln 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-10-09 10:47:57
Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news. Bulgaria news, Bulgarian news, news from Bulgaria, latest news Bulgaria, breaking news Bulgaria, Bulgaria today, Bulgarian politics, Bulgarian government. Bulgarian economy, Bulgarian business, Bulgarian society, Bulgarian culture, Bulgarian tourism, Bulgarian sports, Bulgarian media, Bulgarian parliament. Sofia news, Plovdiv news, Varna news, Burgas news, Ruse news, Stara Zagora news, Pleven news, Sliven news. Dobrich news, Shumen news, Pernik news, Haskovo news, Yambol news, Pazardzhik news, Blagoevgrad news, Veliko Tarnovo news. Vratsa news, Gabrovo news, Asenovgrad news, Vidin news, Bulgarian local news, Bulgaria current affairs, Bulgaria breaking news, Bulgaria headlines. Balkan news, Southeast Europe news, Bulgarian international news, Bulgaria world news, Bulgarian elections, Bulgaria events, Bulgaria analysis, Bulgaria updates.Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law.
BULGARIA NEWS – NEWS AGENCY 2009–2026 2026-10-09 10:47:57