Bulgaria Customs, Revenue Agencies Begin Contraband Probes

Bulgarian Finance Minister Simeon Djankov has ordered state agencies to check stocks held by cigarette manufacturers and importers, in an effort to clamp down on contraband. Photo by BGNES

Bulgarian Finance Minister Simeon Djankov has ordered the Revenues and Customs agencies to check the warehouses of cigarette manufacturers and importers.

Mobile teams from both agencies will make complete inventories of quantities of tobacco products, and compare these with account books.

The inspectors will also verify the contractual relationships of Bulgarian traders with foreign companies, with severe sanctions for non-compliance.

"The huge amount of contraband cigarettes seized yesterday by Varna Customs creates the impression that producers in Bulgaria tacitly support contraband. So a full inspection is necessary," the Minister said on Wednesday, referring to the discovery of illicit cigarettes worth between BGN 1,6 M and BGN 1,8 M in the Port of Varna.

Commenting further on this single haul, Djankov noted that quantity discovered was almost twice as much as all cigarettes confiscated throughout the past year.

He pointed out that the company in recipient of the shipment, "Board 17" Ltd, had been established in December 2009 and had not registered for VAT.

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