Bulgaria Customs Agency Introduces Anti-smuggling Technology

Bulgarian Customs Agency head Vanyo Tanov has announced the deployment of new surveillance units to be used to curb illegal cross-border trading. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria's National Customs Agency has taken delivery of new electronic detection equipment, in its continuing battle against cross-border smuggling.

The innovative "ZBV" X-ray equipment will be housed in mobile units, operated by a 2-man crew. The vehicles will be deployed at border crossing-points, to detect hidden contraband and smuggled goods. The equipment can also detect illegal drugs, currency and explosives.

"The National Customs Agency of Bulgaria is committed to strict control on import tariff on goods,"said Vanyo Tanov, Director General of the National Customs Agency of Bulgaria.

"Uncovering smuggled items results in increased income for the Bulgarian national budget. Customs officers will implement the "ZBV" into existing security protocols to facilitate effective scanning procedures."

The American-built surveillance equipment, manufactured by AS&E, is already in use in almost 50 countries.

"The highly mobile and versatile ZBV has been successfully used by border officials to perform rapid inspections of vehicles, and offers quick and reliable manifest and cargo verification to secure Bulgaria’s borders," stated Robert Postle, an AS&E executive, at the handing-over ceremony in Sofia.

The Bulgarian government is increasingly turning to high-tech solutions in its attempts to clamp down on illicit cross-border activities. At the end of January, the Ministries of Interior and Finance placed orders for two surveillance helicopters to be deployed in aerial law enforcement patrols on Bulgaria's non-EU borders, under the "Schengen Facility" European fund. 

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