Bulgaria seizes weapons from Turkish fig lorry heading to Germany

Bulgarian customs officers have seized 45 combat pistols hidden in a Turkish lorry carrying figs at the main border crossing between Bulgaria and Turkey, with the seasonal fruit destined for Germany, the customs authority said on Wednesday.

The weapons were discovered at the Kapitan Andreevo border crossing, which is known as the “gateway to the EU,” according to a statement.

The Turkish lorry, which had valid shipping documents, was subjected to a thorough inspection following a risk analysis, during which an X-ray check revealed areas of unusual density where the weapons had been concealed, the customs authority said.

In the past three months, 1,640 firearms have been seized at Bulgarian border crossings, the customs authority said – five times more than the total number of weapons confiscated in the previous six years.