Customs officers found 16,800 cigarettes (840 boxes) in the hiding place of a passenger minibus in the area of the Danube Bridge 2 Vidin-Calafat border checkpoint.
On January 6, 2021, at about 9 o’clock, the customs inspectors diverted for inspection the vehicle with Bulgarian registration when leaving the country. The driver and four other people in the van are traveling to Germany. When asked if he transports excise goods, the driver answered in the negative. Customs officers divert the van for a thorough inspection. After dismantling the second row of seats and removing the sheet metal covering the floor, in a factory cavity the customs officers found hidden stacks of cigarettes with a valid Bulgarian excise label. The driver states that the tobacco products are not his and he does not know that they are placed in the factory cavity. It also does not have a simplified accompanying document required for the transportation of the excise goods, which is why it is subject to an administrative sanction under the VAT Act. The cigarettes were confiscated.
Source: Customs Agency