site.btaOver 1,120,000 Contraband Cigarettes Seized at Bulgarian Airports Jan-Apr

Custom officers seized over 1,120,000 contraband cigarettes during inspections of regular international flights at airports in Bulgaria in the January-April period, the National Customs Agency said here on Wednesday. Most of the cigarettes were with Bulgarian excise tax bands.

The cigarettes were intended to be smuggled in Britain (some 90% of the cases), Denmark, Spain, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. The number of smuggling incidents has increased due to the increased number of flights and passengers since the beginning of 2022.

The January – April haul included some 500,000 cigarettes seized at Sofia Airport, almost 400,000 at Plovdiv Airport, 200,000 at Varna Airport and 50,000 at Burgas Airport. Over 150 offenders were detained.

The largest single haul was found in January when 33,000 cigarettes (1,650 packs) were discovered in the luggage of a passenger who was traveling to London. The smuggler was fined BGN 18,060. In two other more major cases, passengers who were traveling to Britain from Sofia and Plovdiv Airports were caught with 20,000 cigarettes each.

Passengers who travel by plane from Bulgaria to another EU country can carry up to 40 packs of cigarettes with Bulgarian excise tax bands. Those who travel to countries outside the EU can carry up to 10 packs of cigarettes. Passengers who exceed the limits are fined and the cigarettes seized.