Miroslav Belyashki faces trial in Haskovo over customs fraud

Former director of the Plovdiv Customs Directorate, Miroslav Belyashki, is on trial before the Haskovo District Court on charges of abusing his office. Prosecutors allege that on 17 April 2025 he exceeded his authority by ordering a truck carrying 1,400 masterboxes of cigarettes, transiting from Georgia to the Netherlands, to be escorted from the Captain Andreev customs post to the Vidin customs checkpoint. The alleged scheme, flagged by the European Anti‑Fraud Office (OLAF), aimed to avoid excise duties of roughly 2.9 million levs. The case, filed by the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office, could result in a prison term of one to eight years and a ban from holding public office if Belyashki is convicted. He has denounced the indictment as a “farce” and claims his actions were within legal duties, accusing the prosecution of targeting him because of powerful economic interests.