Undeclared currency worth a total of 262,280 leva was seized by customs officers at the "Kapitan Andreevo" police station during an inspection of a car and two buses. In one of the cases, banknotes of nine types of currency were found.
In one of the cases, on December 18, a bus with a foreign registration arrived at the checkpoint. It was traveling from Ukraine via Bulgaria to Turkey with 13 passengers who stated that they were not carrying any cash to declare. During the personal search of one of the passengers - a Ukrainian citizen - it was found that banknotes of different denominations of US dollars were hidden in tights wrapped around her waist. The money found was 50,000 US dollars with a leva equivalent of 93,161 leva. An investigation has been launched into the case by a customs inspector under the supervision of the District Prosecutor's Office - Haskovo - Territorial Department - Svilengrad.
Another passenger on the bus, also a Ukrainian citizen, was issued a report under the Currency Act, as the inspection revealed that she had not declared the 15,000 dollars she was carrying with a leva equivalent of 27,651 leva, which were hidden in a bag.
In another case on December 15, undeclared currency was discovered during an inspection of a passenger car with Turkish registration. The driver and his passenger - a Turkish citizen, were traveling from Germany via Bulgaria to Turkey. They stated that they were not carrying goods or cash to declare. Using the “risk analysis” method the vehicle was selected for a thorough customs inspection. During the inspection, euro banknotes were found in a factory cavity of the center console, located between the two front seats. A personal search of the driver was also carried out, during which euro banknotes were also found in the man's underwear and jacket pocket. The total amount of currency found was 40,730 euros, with a leva equivalent of 79,660 leva. Pre-trial proceedings were initiated in the case by an investigating customs inspector under the supervision of the Regional Prosecutor's Office - Haskovo - Territorial Department - Svilengrad.
The next day, customs officers established an unusual case of transporting nine types of currency. On 16.12.2024, a bus with Turkish registration arrived at the checkpoint 15 minutes before midnight. In the vehicle, driven by a Turkish citizen, 10 more passengers were traveling from Turkey to Bulgaria. During a thorough customs inspection, polyethylene bags containing various currencies and denominations were found in a backpack placed on the first seat behind the driver. Banknotes of African rand, dirhams, Thai baht, Malaysian ringgit, Indonesian rupiah, Egyptian pounds, Romanian lei, Polish zlotys and Swedish krona were found. The total amount of undeclared currency was found to be equivalent to 61,808 leva in leva. During the inspection, it was established that the currency was owned by the bus driver, for whom an act was drawn up under the Currency Act.