Bulgaria Police, Customs Crack Down on Illegal Cigarettes Factory

An illegal cigarettes factory was found on Saturday in the town of Lukovit, Northern Bulgaria, police say.

In a specialized action conducted jointly by the Interior Ministry, the Customs Agency, and the Chief Directorate for Combating Organized Crime (GDBOP), police discovered production and storage facilities, equipment, cigarette boxes, and around 13 tons of tobacco.

An unrevealed number of people were arrested.

The organized crime group ran the operations from abroad, while the output was designed for selling both on the domestic market and abroad.

Deputy Chief Prosecutor Borislav Sarafov is quoted as saying that that BGN 3 M worth cigarettes that were to be produced would have resulted in a BGN 2.5 M loss in excise duties to the state treasury.