The government is preparing amendments to the Criminal Code that would make customs violations a criminal offense and turn smuggling into a serious crime. Prime Minister Rumen Radev announced this at the start of today's cabinet meeting.
According to Radev, customs authorities have so far treated such violations merely as administrative offenses, and over the years there has been no political will to change that.
The prime minister explained that the new provisions target one of the most lucrative areas of organized crime — the movement of goods across the European Union's external borders to the detriment of European and national finances.
"The law will apply not only to smugglers and rank-and-file customs officers, but also to the so-called officials on call within the customs administration who knowingly turn a blind eye to such violations," Radev explained.
He added that any information deliberately concealed for the purpose of diverting resources from European and national finances will be considered a crime.