What customs officers in Meriç caught in their "trap"
The Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) has released detailed findings from inspections carried out by customs officers at border checkpoints in Meriç during April, May, and June 2025. The results reveal a wide range of contraband, from smuggled cash and tobacco to unauthorized chemicals and luxury items.
Seized Undeclared Cash:
Bahçeköy Customs Post:
€75,225
$12,366 USD
1,740 Bulgarian leva
108,000 Turkish lira
Kestanelik Customs Post:
€13,900
¥2,000,000 Japanese yen
106,000 UAE dirhams
Tobacco Products:
Bahçeköy Customs (with sniffer dog assistance):
63,800 cigarette units
29.5 kg of tobacco
Kestanelik Customs (with two sniffer dogs):
15,260 cigarette units
600 grams of tobacco
Other Seized Goods:
Illegal Alcohol (Bahçeköy):
33 bottles
Counterfeit Clothing (Bahçeköy):
37,330 items found in a truck
Pesticides:
Kumçiftliği Customs:
4 liters of banned Turkish-made pesticide
Kestanelik Customs:
18 bottles (1L each) of illegal pesticide
Other Notable Findings (Bahçeköy):
60 packages of baklava (each weighing 1.25 kg)
Jewelry:
767.59 grams of gold with diamonds weighing 127.27 carats
One silver item (17.3 grams)
138 clothing items
16 boxes of pharmaceuticals
Weapons and Ammunition:
Unlicensed hunting shotgun
Handgun with 11 bullets and mounted flashlight
Additional shotgun cartridges
Another pistol with 31 bullets
These seizures underscore the vigilance and wide scope of customs inspections in the Evros region, targeting both smuggling and illegal imports.
