Customs officers seize smuggled gold at Kapitan Andreevo border crossing

Bulgarian customs officers have discovered more than 1.3 kilograms of smuggled gold hidden in the jacket of a Turkish citizen at the Kapitan Andreevo border checkpoint.

According to the Appellate Prosecutor’s Office in Plovdiv, the accused is a 44-year-old truck driver. The vehicle was traveling from Lithuania through Bulgaria and Türkiye en route to Jordan. At the Kapitan Andreevo checkpoint, the driver presented valid documents for the cargo he was transporting - used automobile parts - but his visibly nervous behavior aroused the suspicions of the inspecting officer.

During a personal search, small packages containing yellow-metal items were found in both pockets of his jacket. One pocket contained three cast pieces and a bracelet with a total weight of 1,071.60 grams, while the other held two gold bars and eight coins weighing 264.75 grams.

An expert examination later confirmed that the items were made of gold of varying purity, with a combined weight of 1,336.35 grams and an estimated value of €113,066.

The Turkish citizen has been placed under judicial supervision and banned from leaving Bulgaria without the permission of the District Prosecutor’s Office in Haskovo. His international travel document has also been temporarily confiscated.

Edited by Darina Grigorova