Calafat border police seize 725,000 lei in smuggled cigarettes

Border police in Calafat, Romania, discovered a large shipment of smuggled cigarettes valued at approximately 725,940 lei during a BLITZ operation. The seizure occurred near the Calafat-Vidin bridge toll station on September 11, 2026.

Authorities inspected a Bulgarian-registered truck traveling from Bulgaria to Romania. The driver, a 48-year-old Bulgarian citizen, was transporting various goods without a customs seal on the cargo compartment. Upon further inspection, officers found cardboard boxes hidden among the cargo containing 24,198 packs of cigarettes (483,960 individual cigarettes) bearing Bulgarian excise stamps. The driver was unable to provide documentation regarding the origin of the cigarettes.

The driver has been placed under preventive arrest. Investigations are being conducted by the Dolj County Police Inspectorate to determine the full circumstances of the illegal possession and potential sale of excise goods within Romanian territory.