From: The Sofia Globe
Thirteen Bulgarian customs officials and three border police officers were arrested as part of an anti-smuggling operation, Bulgarian Interior Ministry chief secretary Georgi Kostov said on March 31. Seven other people suspected of involvement in the cigarette smuggling ring and three security guards were also detained.
The customs officials were part of the same shift at the Kapitan Andreevo border checkpoint with Turkey, Kostov told reporters at a news conference in Plovdiv, as quoted by Bulgarian National Radio (BNR).
Police in Plovdiv seized a shipment of smuggled cigarettes on March 29 and arrested the entire customs shift that allowed the cargo truck through the checkpoint, BNR said. A second truck was seized at the Kapitan Andreevo checkpoint after police reviewed the surveillance cameras.
