Bulgarian customs seize 1.1 million contraband cigarettes at Lesovo

Customs inspectors at the Lesovo border crossing in Bulgaria have seized over 1.1 million contraband cigarettes hidden inside aluminum insulation panels. The shipment, valued at more than 200,000 euros, was being transported in a Bulgarian-registered truck traveling from Turkey to France.

During a risk analysis and subsequent X-ray inspection, officials detected suspicious density within 140 aluminum panels filled with polyurethane foam. Upon dismantling the panels, investigators discovered that the internal insulation had been hollowed out to accommodate 57,000 packs of cigarettes from seven different brands, all bearing Turkish tax stamps.

The driver, a Belgian citizen of Turkish origin, had presented documentation for the transit of bulk goods. An investigation is currently underway under the supervision of the Yambol District Prosecutor's Office. Authorities noted that since the beginning of the year, more than 6 million illegal cigarettes have been seized at the Lesovo checkpoint, with a significant surge of approximately 4 million intercepted in the last two months alone.