Customs authorities at Bulgaria’s Kapitan Andreevo border crossing have intercepted two significant attempts to smuggle undeclared currency, with a total value approaching 2.8 million leva. The seizures were disclosed during a joint press briefing by Valeri Staykov, head of the operations unit at the checkpoint, and Maria Kirilova, Deputy District Prosecutor at the Haskovo District Prosecutor’s Office.

The larger of the two cases occurred on June 7, when a truck with Polish registration, driven by a Turkish national, arrived at the checkpoint en route from Poland to Turkey. Although the driver presented all necessary transport documentation, the vehicle was flagged for a detailed inspection based on a risk assessment. During the search, customs officers discovered a textile backpack hidden in the driver’s cabin, inside a drawer meant for personal items. The bag contained 11 polyethylene packages filled with euro and U.S. dollar banknotes. In total, officers uncovered €900,000 and $500,000, amounting to a leva equivalent of 2,617,242.

Just one day earlier, on June 6, another truck, also driven by a Turkish citizen and transporting goods from Poland to Turkey, was stopped and searched. In this case, customs staff located $100,000, or 171,399 leva, hidden behind the driver’s seat in a compartment used for storing personal items. The vehicle was flagged after a customs employee at the checkpoint’s weigh station noticed suspicious behavior.

According to Staykov, one of the trucks had been selected for inspection based on intelligence from the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate, while the other was searched following the judgment of an alert customs officer on site.

Both cases have prompted the launch of pre-trial proceedings, led by investigating customs inspectors under the supervision of the Svilengrad Territorial Department of the Haskovo Regional Prosecutor’s Office.

These are not isolated incidents. Since the beginning of the year, Kapitan Andreevo customs officers have uncovered undeclared cash in 21 separate cases, with a total value nearing 7.8 million leva.