Prosecutors in Haskovo have charged a 44-year-old Romanian woman with smuggling a large haul of gold jewellery through the Kapitan Andreevo border crossing without declaring it.

She was one of 23 passengers on a bus with Turkish plates travelling from Turkey to Romania through Bulgaria. On October 2, customs officers at the crossing stopped the bus for a thorough search.

During the check, officers noticed the woman's vest looked oddly bulky and searched her. Sewn into the lining were 20 plastic bags holding rings, pendants, chains, earrings and bracelets made of yellow metal, the Customs Agency's press office in Svilengrad said.

Tests showed the items were gold, weighing 912.45 grams in total and worth 100,369 euros. A court set bail at 5,000 euros and barred her from leaving Bulgaria.

The investigation continues.

A day earlier, at the same crossing, an international operation called "Balkan Bridge II" turned up drugs, weapons and an attempt to smuggle migrants.