The Customs Office unit of Svilengrad, Southeastern Bulgaria, will shut down as of 00:00 EET on Monday, January 11.

Late in December the government announced the unit would become part of the respective offices of Plovdiv and Burgas.

A statement on the agency's website reads that the units at Svilengrad train station and at Kapitan Andreevo border crossing is now administered by the Burgas Customs Office.

The units located in Kardzhali and Haskovo (Southern Bulgaria) for their part will be administered by the Plovdiv office.

The Svilengrad office will be open seven days a week between 08:00 and 20:00, while the ones operated from the Burgas unit will be open around the clock.

Between 23:00 and 24:00 on Sunday, Kapitan Andreevo border crossing will be closed to prepare for the change.

Svilengrad Customs Office employs 330 people. There will be no job cuts as part of the merger with the Plovdiv and Burgas structures. 

Bulgaria's government says the move is aimed at "preventing corruption practices and improving work by optimizing human, financial and material resources".

Its decision follows the arrests of dozens of staff working with the Svilengrad unit on suspicions of bribery.

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