The suspects, aged 52 and 56, were detained by order of the District Prosecutor’s Office in Ćustendil, reports BTA.
They are charged with possession of illegal tobacco products in large quantities, which carries a prison sentence of two to eight years.
This is the result of a major operation by the General Administration of the Border Police, which since the beginning of the year has been following an organized criminal group involved in the illegal production and distribution of cigarettes, said Chief Commissioner Anton Zlatanov.
The operation, carried out on April 2, was aimed at reaching the middle and upper levels of the group’s hierarchy.
– This is one of the largest illegal cigarette factories in the country discovered in recent years – added Zlatanov.
Investigators discovered a high-tech factory in warehouse facilities in the Northern Industrial Zone of Dupnica, where over 11 tons of crushed tobacco and 651 boxes of finished cigarettes, primarily intended for markets in Central and Western Europe, were seized.
In the village of Krivina, Sofia region, authorities found an additional 180 boxes and a truck connected to the operation of the illegal factory.
– At average market prices, the total value of the entire production is approximately 1.3 million euros – said Zlatanov.
The General Administration of the Border Police and the District Prosecutor’s Office in Ćustendil also participated in the investigation.
According to investigators, the factory’s equipment is worth millions of euros, including modern production lines, filter and paper machines, and packaging facilities for cigarettes of a well-known global brand.
The site operated in highly classified cycles, with specially constructed sleeping quarters, kitchen, bathroom, soundproofing and video surveillance. The building is rented under a lease agreement.
Detained persons have a previous criminal record. One was convicted and later rehabilitated in Bulgaria, while the other has convictions in Hungary and France for drug trafficking, said prosecutor Albena Razsolkova.
According to the investigators, one of the detainees was involved in logistics, while the other had an organizational role.
The supervising prosecutor will submit a request to the District Court in Dupnica for custody. The hearing is scheduled for Monday at 9:30 a.m. in the District Court in Dupnica, Razsolkova added.
The investigation is ongoing, and additional procedural and investigative actions are expected, as well as the identification of other participants.
(Vijesti.ba / FENA)
