The customs officers of Malko Tarnovo custom post detained 981.75 grams of gold jewellery hidden in boxes of cream cheese. Some quantities were also hidden in the clothes of three women travelling in the car. All of them were identified as Romanian nationalists. The vehicle with Romanian registration travels from Turkey to MP Malko Tarnovo. The Police detained all of them and investigating the case. The suspects declared that they have nothing to say in their defence.
The customs officials discovered five parcels inside cream cheese boxes wrapped in black tape and nylons while sorting through the luggage during the inspection. It was found that the shipments together contained 747.93 grammes of gold jewellery.
Following personal inspections, further 233.82 grammes of gold items were discovered in the clothing of the female driver and two of the female passengers. Jewellery pieces weighing a total of 981.75 grammes were seized, including rings, bracelets, earrings, medallions, and more. The initial expert assessment revealed that these items are made of 14-carat gold (sample 585) and hold a total worth of BGN 88,358.
Each of them individually carried 616.88 g, 265.40 g, and 99.47 g of gold jewellery out of the total weight. To address the recognised administrative infractions, three acts were created.
Since the beginning of September alone, the Malko Tarnovo MP’s customs officials have detained 1,776 kg of illegal gold goods. They were found while vehicles and travellers entering the country from Turkey were being inspected by customs. The security measure has been enhanced since the cases of unlawful gold trafficking increased at the Bulgarian-Turkish border. The Police check every vehicle that passes through the region. The numbers show a slight decrease in gold trafficking since the Police increased security, and many people were detained who tried to carry some suspicious things.