Cigarettes seizure
Bucharest, 1 November 2006 - - Based on an instantaneous and successful exchange of information through the SECI Center channels between the Bulgarian and Hellenic Customs Liaison Officers (LOs), a significant quantity of smuggled cigarettes was seized by the Hellenic Coast Guard in the harbor of SIGGRI, Island Lesvos - Greece, on Friday, 27 October.
On the board of vessel "BANA", navigating under the North Korean flag, there were found 1000 master boxes (13. 090 kgs.) of KARELIA brand cigarettes. The code bars from the carton boxes had been removed.
The vessel with the smuggled cigarettes on board departed from Varna on 3 October and the companies involved in the illegal operation are registered in Bulgaria and Montenegro.
The captain of the vessel was identified as having a previous criminal background in cigarettes smuggling.
The Customs Authorities from twelve Southeast European Countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Greece, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Turkey) are posting, on a permanent base, their LOs at the SECI Center, headquartered in Bucharest, in order to assure a 24 hours/ seven days information exchange in combating various forms of transborder crimes, including all forms of smuggling.
On the board of vessel "BANA", navigating under the North Korean flag, there were found 1000 master boxes (13. 090 kgs.) of KARELIA brand cigarettes. The code bars from the carton boxes had been removed.
The vessel with the smuggled cigarettes on board departed from Varna on 3 October and the companies involved in the illegal operation are registered in Bulgaria and Montenegro.
The captain of the vessel was identified as having a previous criminal background in cigarettes smuggling.
The Customs Authorities from twelve Southeast European Countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Greece, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Turkey) are posting, on a permanent base, their LOs at the SECI Center, headquartered in Bucharest, in order to assure a 24 hours/ seven days information exchange in combating various forms of transborder crimes, including all forms of smuggling.
