Record number of illegal cigarettes seized

Croatian customs officers seized nearly fourteen-million illegal cigarettes at the Bregana border crossing - a record bust for this particular crossing.

During a routine inspection on Thursday, border agents and the anti-smuggling service stopped a freight vehicle carrying a 40-foot shipping container.

With the help of a detection dog, officers discovered 13.9 million cigarettes - or 695,500 boxes - hidden behind layers of packaging foil - none marked with Croatian tobacco stamps.

According to Assistant Director of the Customs Administration Tihomir Žegrec, the cigarettes are worth about 4.2 million euros, while unpaid taxes and duties total more than 3.7 million.

"I must congratulate our border guards because this was their operation; while the police arrived and carried out their job which was to arrest the suspect. However, the entire operation, from detection to the discovery of the shipment, is all thanks to our border agents," said Interior Minister Davor Božinović about the record-setting bust.

The driver said he was unaware of the cargo's contents.