Two Georgian nationals have been given three-year suspended sentences for smuggling 20 handguns through the Kapitan Andreevo border crossing. The Haskovo district court approved the sentence under a deal between prosecutors and the defence, the court's press office said.
The two men, aged 25 and 21, were travelling by bus from Turkey through Bulgaria to Poland. During a check at the crossing, they went back to the bus, grabbed two backpacks and threw them in a bin, but officers saw them do it.
A joint search by border police and customs turned up 20 Glock pistols and 20 magazines in the backpacks, worth 8,000 euros in total. The check happened on July 15, and on July 17 the Haskovo court ordered the two men held in custody.
They were charged with smuggling. Besides the suspended sentences, each man got five years' probation and a fine of 10,225.84 euros. The court's ruling is final and cannot be appealed.