Bulgarian Customs Officer Caught with Over 50,000 Euros in Bribery Scandal

A customs inspector in Bulgaria has been detained following the discovery of cash totaling over 110,000 leva (around 50,000 euros) in his residence, authorities announced during a briefing by the Sofia District Prosecutor’s Office and the Ministry of Interior. The case came to light last Thursday at the Dragoman border checkpoint when a metal trader, importing goods from China via Turkey with all required documentation, attempted to expedite customs clearance by offering the officer a bribe of roughly 1,000 leva (about 511 euros). The inspector allegedly accepted the cash to process the documents without checking or taking samples of the metals. Immediately following the transaction, officers from the General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime (GDBOP) conducted a search at the customs office, recovering 960 leva (around 490 euros) in the officer’s front pocket and 500 leva (approximately 255 euros) in another pocket. Investigators subsequently carried out 11 additional searches involving people, vehicles, and residences connected to the case. During these operations, more than 110,000 leva in cash, including 50,000 euros, along with documents verifying the goods and commemorative coins, were seized. Witnesses have been questioned, and some have appeared in court proceedings. The officer faces charges for soliciting and accepting gifts to avoid official customs duties, specifically bypassing inspections and refraining from taking samples of the transported cargo. The Sofia District Court has placed the inspector under house arrest, citing his need to care for his severely ill father, although the prosecution plans to appeal and request his detention pending trial. Deputy Director of the Customs Agency, Plamen Pavlov, explained that all steel imports into the EU are closely regulated to prevent low-value goods from entering and distorting the market. In such cases, samples are typically collected for laboratory testing and a 36% duty applied to sheet metal. The attempt to bypass this procedure represented a clear violation. Ivan Koev, head of the Corruption Sector at the Directorate General of Customs and Excise, noted that the investigation began a year ago, and authorities had received prior information that the officer would accept bribes. According to Koev, customs officers and agents had been entering false data in declarations to facilitate the movement of goods while avoiding the correct duties. He added that similar practices might exist elsewhere in Bulgaria. Chief Commissioner Boyan Raev, Director of the Directorate General of Customs and Excise, confirmed that a detailed analysis of the seized material is currently underway to assess the full scope of the case.