Bulgarian authorities, working with U.K. partners, dismantled what prosecutors describe as the country’s largest illegal cigarette manufacturing facility, located near Batanovtsi, about 37 km west of Sofia. Officials seized cigarettes, approximately 13.8 tons of tobacco, and a truck carrying more than 10 million cigarettes, with unpaid excise duties estimated to exceed €2.8 million. The site featured a fully integrated production operation, including tobacco processing, cigarette manufacturing, packaging equipment, storage areas, and living quarters for around 20 foreign workers. Authorities said the factory had been operating for less than three weeks and was primarily producing cigarettes for export, with investigations ongoing and several individuals identified in connection with the operation.
